The prevalence of occupational asthma and rhinitis among woodworkers in south-eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Wood dusts are known to cause respiratory disorders like rhinitis and asthma. This study was therefore done to
determine the magnitude of the problem among woodworkers in south-eastern Nigeria exposed to high level of wood dust.
Five hundred and ninety one woodworkers were selected using a stratified random sampling. The prevalence of woodworkrelated
rhinitis and asthma were then observed in the study population. Also the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) of each
woodworker was obtained. The prevalence of occupational rhinitis was 78%, while that of asthma was 6.5%. As period of
woodwork increased the prevalence of rhinitis and asthma increased (rhinitis: χ2 trend = 53.015, df = 1, P = 0.000). For
asthma, χ2 trend =19.721, df = 1, P = 0.000). Also the PEFR significantly became low with increasing years of exposure to
woodwork (χ2 trend = 75.965, df = 1, P= 0.000). In conclusion the prevalence of rhinitis and asthma in woodworkers was
high and significantly increased with years of working as a woodworker.

Keywords:woodwork, peak expiratory flow rate, rhinitis, asthma, wood dust, Nigeria

Tanzania Health Research Bulletin Vol. 9 (1) 2007: pp.52-55