Occupation exposed to road-traffic emissions and respiratory health among Congolese transit workers, particularly bus conductors, in Kinshasa: a cross-sectional study

Road-traffic emissions (RTE) induce adverse health effects, notably respiratory symptoms and respiratory diseases, as a result of pollutants deposited into the respiratory tract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between occupation groups of Congolese transit workers exposed to R...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Environmental health and preventive medicine Vol. 22; no. 1; p. 11
Main Authors:	Mbelambela, Etongola Papy, Hirota, Ryoji, Eitoku, Masamitsu, Muchanga, Sifa Marie Joelle, Kiyosawa, Hidenori, Yasumitsu-Lovell, Kahoko, Lawanga, Ontshick Leader, Suganuma, Narufumi
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England BioMed Central 01-01-2017
Subjects:	Adult Age Air Pollutants - analysis Air Pollutants - toxicity Air pollution association Blood pressure Body mass index Bronchitis Bus conductors Buses Conductors Cross-Sectional Studies Democratic Republic of the Congo - epidemiology Emissions Environmental & Occupational Health Environmental health Evaluation Exposure Gas detectors Health risks Health Sciences Humans Hälsovetenskaper Literacy long-term exposure lung-function Male mortality Multivariate analysis Nitrogen dioxide obstructive pulmonary-disease Occupational exposure Occupational Exposure - adverse effects Occupations - statistics & numerical data Particulate matter Particulate Matter - analysis Particulate Matter - toxicity Pollutants population Preventive medicine Public Pulmonary functions quality Questionnaires Regular Respiratory diseases Respiratory function Respiratory Function Tests Respiratory health Respiratory tract Respiratory Tract Diseases - chemically induced Respiratory Tract Diseases - epidemiology Road traffic emissions Secondary schools Signs and symptoms Socioeconomic factors Spirometry Sulfur dioxide symptoms Taxicabs Teachers Thorax Time Factors Traffic Transit workers Values Variance analysis Vehicle emissions Vehicle Emissions - analysis Vehicle Emissions - toxicity Young Adult Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Congo-Democratic Republic of Congo United States > US Japan Transit workers Respiratory health Bus conductors Road traffic emissions
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Summary:	Road-traffic emissions (RTE) induce adverse health effects, notably respiratory symptoms and respiratory diseases, as a result of pollutants deposited into the respiratory tract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between occupation groups of Congolese transit workers exposed to RTE, particularly bus conductors and respiratory health, in Kinshasa. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2015 April 20 to May 14 , whose participants were bus conductors (n = 110), bus drivers (n = 107), taxi-motorcyclists (n = 102) and high school teachers (control group; n = 106). Subjects had completed the American Thoracic Society respiratory symptom questionnaire. Lung function test was performed by spirometry. Air pollutants levels of PM , NO and SO were measured between 7:30 and 8:30 and 16:30-17:30 using a portable gas monitor. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the association between occupation exposed to RTE and impaired pulmonary function, after adjustment by plausible confounders. The prevalence of mixed syndrome was 21.9% for bus conductors, 10.9% for bus drivers, 15.4% for taxi-motorcyclists and 7.1% for high school teachers with (p < 0.05). The risk of developing a mixed syndrome was seven times higher among bus conductors [OR = 7.64; 95% CI: 1.83-31.67; p < 0.05] than other groups. Additionally, the prevalence of respiratory syndromes increased with the duration of exposure. Occupation exposed to RTE is associated with impaired pulmonary function and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among transit workers, especially bus conductors. Furthermore, this association increases with the duration of exposure suggesting the necessity to regulate these categories of occupations and to apply preventives measures.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1342-078X 1347-4715
DOI:	10.1186/s12199-017-0608-9