PREVALENCE OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND RISK FACTORS AMONG POULTRY FARM WORKERS IN OWERRI SENATORIAL ZONE, NIGERIA

^1*Ihuoma J. N., ¹Iwuala C.C., ²Ede A.O., ¹Udujih O.G., and ³Udujih H.I.

¹Department of Public Health, School of Health Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria.

²Department of Environmental Health Science, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, Nnewi Campus, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.

³Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Health Science, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.

^*Corresponding Author’s: E-mail Addresses ✉: ihuoma.jennifer@yahoo.com; Phone no ☎: (+234)08125725493

Accepted September 13, 2019

Respiratory ill-health among poultry farm workers has been associated with exposure to occupational predisposing factors. Studies have reported respiratory symptoms to be prevalent among poultry farm workers and related to working in poultry farms, but there is a dearth of published studies on the respiratory health of poultry farm workers in Nigeria. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among poultry workers in Owerri Senatorial Zone and elucidate the influence of predisposing/risk factors. A descriptive survey involving 400 poultry farmworkers from 20 poultry farms recruited through a multistage sampling technique was carried out using semi-structured questionnaires for data collection. Spearman correlation test was performed to determine the relationship between respiratory symptoms and predisposing factors (smoking and duration of work years). From the study, Male workers were dominant, 32.5% were smokers and 10% had worked in poultry farms for more than 15 years. 87% of the workers had cough; with wheeze and breathlessness in 32.5% and 30% of the workers respectively. Wheeze showed perfect association with smoking (1.00; df 4@ p-value <0.05), cough showed very weak association with smoking (0.262; df 4@ p-value < 0.05) and chest pain had strong association with duration of work years (0.774; df 4 @ p-value <0.05). The results have a strong implication for the establishment of occupational health services and improved poultry dust control in the poultry industry.

Key words: prevalence, respiratory symptoms, poultry workers.

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