Table 2 Chronic respiratory symptoms in exposed female and male workers in food processing industries
Group | Sex | N | Mean age (yrs) | Mean exposure (yrs) | Smoking habit pack year | Chronic cough % | Chronic phlegm % | Chronic bronchitis % | Occupational asthma % | Dyspnea grade 3&4 % | Nasal catarrh % | Sinusitis % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coffee | F | 82 | 31 | 6 | 5.0 | 29.3 | 24.4 | 17.1 | 3.7 | 29.3 | 65.9 | 24.4 |
| Â | M | 21 | 36 | 9 | 15.0 | 57.1 | 61.9 | 52.4 | 0 | 33.3 | 38.7 | 23.8 |
Tea | F | 100 | 34 | 10 | 5.0 | 29.0 | 15.0 | 13.0 | 4.0 | 26.0 | 36.0 | 15.0 |
| Â | M | 32 | 35 | 9 | 20.0 | 35.1 | 31.5 | 20.5 | 2.7 | 30.0 | 34.0 | 18.0 |
Spices | F | 92 | 36 | 12 | 5.0 | 22.8 | 19.6 | 19.6 | 0 | 57.6 | 37.0 | 27.2 |
| Â | M | 20 | 35 | 13 | 15.0 | 31.5 | 30.5 | 24.5 | 0 | 50.2 | 30.0 | 20.1 |
Soy | F | 31 | 28 | 8 | 2.5 | 29.7 | 21.8 | 18.5 | 1.5 | 15.2 | 21.7 | 18.2 |
| Â | M | 29 | 32 | 4 | 10.0 | 37.0 | 33.3 | 25.9 | 7.4 | 11.1 | 22.2 | 14.8 |
Animal food | F | 35 | 38 | 12 | 7.5 | 20.1 | 28.2 | 20.1 | 1.7 | 9.3 | 20.0 | 16.5 |
| Â | M | 71 | 40 | 15 | 20.0 | 56.3 | 50.7 | 40.9 | 2.8 | 11.3 | 35.2 | 21.1 |
Dried fruits | F | 54 | 30 | 7 | 5.0 | 16.7 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 0 | 33.3 | 40.7 | 14.8 |
| Â | M | 29 | 32 | 8 | 10.0 | 28.7 | 24.5 | 20.3 | 0 | 24.2 | 36.5 | 11.5 |
Confectionary | F | 259 | 33 | 11 | 5.0 | 23.9 | 9.3 | 7.3 | 2.7 | 12.7 | 20.8 | 23.6 |
| Â | M | 29 | 31 | 10 | 10.0 | 27.5 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 0 | 27.6 | 24.1 | 24.1 |
Cocoa & flour | F | 93 | 33 | 13 | 5.0 | 27.9 | 21.3 | 10.7 | 5.4 | 13.8 | 27.3 | 18.5 |
| Â | M | 28 | 35 | 14 | 15.0 | 41.2 | 38.5 | 30.2 | 1.5 | 15.2 | 20.4 | 15.2 |
All food processing workers | F | 746 | 33 | 10 | 5.0 | 24.9 | 19.1 | 14.9 | 2.4 | 21.4 | 16.3 | 19.8 |
| Â | M | 259 | 35 | 10 | 14.4 | 39.3 | 36.4 | 29.4 | 1.8 | 25.4 | 30.1 | 18.6 |