title: Assessment of Pulmonary Function Parameters and Respiratory Symptoms in Shipyard Workers of Asaluyeh City, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Workers in shipyard companies are exposed to different respiratory hazards. The present case-control study was designed to evaluate pulmonary function tests and respiratory symptoms among shipyard workers in Asaluyeh city in Southwest Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March and October 2015 we recruited participants from two separate populations: shipyard workers as cases and office workers from the same shipyard company, who are not exposed to the same respiratory hazards, as controls. History was obtained from all participants and they all underwent physical examination and spirometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respiratory signs and symptoms were present in a significantly higher number of shipyard workers compared to the unexposed office workers. Similarly, there were significant spirometric differences between cases and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems that workplace hazards play a more significant role than other factors such as air pollution in development of respiratory diseases, and future studies for investigating respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function parameters, biological monitoring and measurement of respiratory hazard need to be performed.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine Research Center (OMRC), Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services (IUMS), Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: Mashallah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aghilinejad
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine Research Center (OMRC), Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services (IUMS), Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: Elaheh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kabir-Mokamelkhah
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine Research Center (OMRC), Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services (IUMS), Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hassan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nassiri-Kashani
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine Research Center (OMRC), Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services (IUMS), Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bahrami-Ahmadi
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine Research Center (OMRC), Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services (IUMS), Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: Atefeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dehghani
keywords: Respiratory symptoms; Shipyard workers; Spirometry