title: Byssinosis: as seen in cotton spinning mill workers of Karachi.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify Byssinosis in cotton spinning mill workers, probable associations of disease with factors such as different work areas, safety gadget usage and overtime and to ascertain proportions of byssinosis to accidental injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in a spinning mill of Karachi in June 2006. Mill workers who had worked for a period of minimum 5 years were selected. A sample size of 83 conveniently selected workers participated in the research study. Data collection was done via questionnaire, and pulmonary function tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the sample was 30 +/- 6.9 years. Of all the workers 72% used safety gadgets (masks) while working and 50% availed overtime. Smokers amounted to 31% of the total subjects. Around 35% workers complained of having respiratory ailments of which 19% (16 workers) closely matched byssinotic symptoms. Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) confirmed 13 of 16 workers to be byssinotics, with the remaining being labeled as Probables. The overall proportion of Byssinotics in the mill was 19.28% (95% C.I. 11-27) and that of accidental injuries was 22.9%. The association of byssinosis with respect to work areas was significantly high in Ring area (O.R. = 2.04) followed by carding (O.R. = 1.3). The association of byssinosis was also high in workers who did not use safety gadgets, e.g. dust masks (O.R = 4.89) and in people who worked overtime (O.R. = 1.82). Associations with respect to duration of employment and smoking could not yield significant results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate a very high probability of association of disease to non-usage of safety gadgets and overtime working. Studies comprising of a greater sample size would show precisely the overall prevalence of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Community Health Sciences, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi.
authors.forename: Mohammed Irfan
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Farooque
authors.forename: Bushra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Erum
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: Mehreen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moosa
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raheel
authors.forename: Santosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Farah Asad
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Mansuri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002095:Byssinosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D032561:Cotton Fiber; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016272:Occupational Health; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011482:Protective Devices; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013783:Textile Industry; D013784:Textiles