1507A cross sectional study on respiratory morbidity among traffic police personnel in Hyderabad, Telangana

• Published in: International journal of epidemiology 2021-09, Vol.50 (Supplement_1)
• Main Authors: Wassey, Abdul, Afreen, Ishrath, Lakshman Rao, RL
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0300-5771; 1464-3685
• DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyab168.003

Background Occupational hazards cause early deaths to millions of people worldwide and result in avoidable morbidity that adversely affect the quality of life. The problem of air pollution is also addressed in two of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – SGD3 and SDG11. Traffic police are one of the worst sufferers because they are continuously exposed to the toxic pollutants emitted from the automobiles. Methods A community based cross-sectional study was carried out from June 2016 to October 2017 among traffic police personnel of Hyderabad district, Telangana. The study was done with a sample size of 270. Data collection was done using a standardized pretested structured schedule developed using ATS-DLD questionnaire, Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) measurements and spirometry for lung volumes. Results The average roadside working hours per day for the study participants was 6 hrs per day. The prevalence of respiratory morbidity was found to be 29.85%. Chronic phlegm, chronic cough and chronic wheeze was reported in 18.99%, 13.17%, 2.32% respectively. Respiratory morbidity was significantly associated with age, duration of occupation related exposure to air pollution and the Air Quality Index of workplace (p