# Respiratory symptoms and associated factors among workers in the marble factory in ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study found that workers in Ethiopian marble factories experience higher rates of respiratory symptoms compared to alcohol factory workers, with factors like age, work experience, and lack of protective equipment playing a role.

## Contribution

The study introduces a comparative cross-sectional analysis of respiratory symptoms in marble versus alcohol factory workers in Ethiopia.

## Key findings

- Marble factory workers had a 42.1% prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms, significantly higher than the 16.2% in alcohol factory workers.
- Not using respiratory protective equipment increased the odds of respiratory symptoms by 2.16 times.
- Workers aged ≥40 years and those with ≥10 years of work experience were more likely to experience chronic respiratory symptoms.

## Abstract

Occupational dust exposure is one of the major risk factors for respiratory health in many dust-generating work environments, including the marble industries. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and associated factors among marble factories workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, compared to non-dust exposed alcohol factory workers. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 246 marble factories workers and 246 alcohol factory workers. The respiratory symptoms were assessed by using the standardized questionnaires adopted from both British Medical Research Council (BMRC) Questionnaires and American Thoracic Society (ATS) questionnaires. The data were entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 23. A Poisson regression analysis was performed to compare the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among marble factory workers and alcohol factory workers. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors that were significantly associated with respiratory symptoms. Statistical significance was determined at a p-value of less than 0.05. A Poisson regression analysis revealed that the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was significantly higher among marble factory workers (42.1%) than among control workers (16.2%). Chronic Respiratory symptoms was significantly associated with age ≥ 40 years (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.72, 95% CI:1.07–2.74), past history of respiratory illnesses (AOR = 5.07, 95% CI:3.23–7.96), not using respiratory protective Equipment (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.19–3.92), work experience ≥ 10 years (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI:1.12–3.70), and working hours ≥ 48 h per week (AOR = 2.19, 95%CI: 1.36–3.56). Thus, respiratory protection equipment and engineering control methods should be implemented to reduce workers’ exposure to marble dust in marble factories.