Respiratory Symptoms and Pulmonary Function of Workers in the Waste Management Industry

Occupation-related respiratory diseases among sanitary workers in the workplace: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Emerging evidence from both developed and developing countries indicates that occupation-related respiratory diseases (ORRD) among sanitary workers constitute a significant public health challenge. These are because of the working environment, where employees are more likely to be at risk in an unsafe workplace, especially sanitary workers. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the prevalence of ORRD among sanitary workers.

Methods

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram was used, and the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Study (PICOS) framework was applied to structure the review questions. Studies published in English from 2000 to 2022 were searched in databases and through other methods. Boolean logic (AND, OR, NOT), Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and keywords were used as follows: (Occupational "OR" Job "OR" Work) AND (Respiratory tract diseases "OR" Respiratory tract infections "OR" Respiratory tract symptoms "OR" Respiratory tract problems) AND (Solid waste collectors "OR" Sewage workers "OR" Street sweepers "OR" Waste treatment worker) AND Countries. Stata MP/17 software was used for data analysis. A random effects model and restricted maximum likelihood were applied. A generic precomputed effect size for the prevalence of ORRD was employed at a 95% confidence interval (CI:95%).

Results

A total of 23 studies were included, four from industrialized countries (n = 4) and seven from developing countries (n = 7), out of an initial 123 studies. Among the 4,521 sanitary workers, 1990 (44%), 1,651 (37%), and 880 (19%) were SS, SWCs, and STWs, respectively. Globally, the pooled prevalence of ORRD among all SWs was 32.56% (95%CI: 25.78, 39.34%). Among these, high-income and low-income countries had a prevalence of 20% (95%CI: 18.08%, 0.21.96%) and 35.17% (95%CI: 27.48, 42.76%), respectively. In the SS and SWC groups, the prevalence was 36.41% (95%CI: 26.69%) and 31.28% (95%CI, 18.64, 43.92%), respectively.

Conclusion

The current systematic review and meta-analysis found that ORRD were common among the SWs. Due to numerous risk factors, these illnesses are more prevalent in low-income countries than in industrialized ones. Therefore, to reduce these risks for these groups-especially for street sweepers in low-income countries-government policy changes and other preventive measures are required.

ABPA and AFRS: addressing prevalence, early diagnosis, allergens, and occupational concerns

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the prevalence of ABPA and AFRS, scrutinize existing diagnostic criteria and immunoassays, pinpoint their limitations, highlight ABPA as an occupational health implication, and identify suggestive measures to improve ABPA diagnosis in the context of Occupational Health Nursing and primary healthcare.

DATA SOURCES

The data sources such as PubMed, Health and Safety Science Abstracts, OSH Update, Medline, and Google Scholar were searched.

STUDY SELECTIONS

All published studies in the English language from 1990 till Oct, 2023 using Mesh terms keywords "Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis," "Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis," "Signs and Symptoms," "Rapid Diagnostic Tests," "Diagnosis," "Occupational Health," "Occupational Health Nursing," "Prevalence," "Allergens" following "Boolean operators" search strategy were selected.

RESULTS

This review succinctly covered signs, symptoms, and prevalence data concerning ABPA and AFRS. It briefly discussed existing diagnostic criteria and immunoassays, highlighted factors influencing the assay's variability, and underscored the role and scope of specific allergens toward improved, simple, and early ABPA diagnosis. ABPA as a neglected occupational health concern was emphasized, and the importance of RDTs in the context of healthcare professionals and OHNs was stated. Finally, this study suggested analyzing the impact of compromised post-pandemic immune status and the use of immunosuppressive drugs on ABPA prevalence among vulnerable communities and occupations.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, global and Indian ABPA and AFRS prevalence data, factors influencing existing assay variability, and the scope of improvement in RDTs for ABPA diagnosis in the background of primary healthcare professionals and OHNs were addressed.