Respiratory Disorders, Skin Complaints, and Low-Back Trouble Among Tannery Workers in Kanpur, India

• Published in: American Industrial Hygiene Association journal 1997-10, Vol.58 (10), p.740-746
• Main Authors: Öry, F. G., Rahman, F. U., Katagade, V., Shukla, A., Burdorf, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age groups; Asthma; Back; Back pain; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchitis; Confidence intervals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Departments; Dermatitis; Dermatitis, Occupational - epidemiology; Dermatitis, Occupational - prevention & control; Developing countries; Ergonomics; Ergonomics. Workplace layout; Ergonomics. Workplace layout. Occupational psychology; Health surveys; Hindus; Humans; Illiteracy; India - epidemiology; LDCs; Leather & leather products; Logistic Models; Low Back Pain - epidemiology; Low Back Pain - prevention & control; Low income groups; low-back disorders; Manual workers; Medical sciences; Occupational accidents; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Occupational Diseases - prevention & control; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Occupational medicine; Occupational safety; Odds Ratio; Population; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Regression analysis; Respiratory diseases; respiratory disorders; Respiratory Hypersensitivity - epidemiology; Respiratory Hypersensitivity - prevention & control; Risk Factors; Sick leave; Skin; Studies; tannery workers; Tanning; Tropical medicine; Variables
• ISSN: 0002-8894; 2163-369X
• DOI: 10.1080/15428119791012397

In a cross-sectional survey health complaints among 418 laborers in 15 Indian tanneries were studied. Low-back pain (61%), asthma (38%), dermatitis (23%), and chronic bronchitis (14%) were the most frequently reported complaints in the 12 months prior to the survey. In general, beamhouse workers reported the highest prevalence but only chronic low-back pain was significantly elevated compared with workers in the finishing departments. When using individual exposure estimates, clear associations were presented among manual lifting over 20 kg and low-back pain (OR = 3.5) and skin exposure and dermatitis (OR = 2.6). Frequent lifting of loads was also associated with self-reported asthma. About 44% of the laborers reported at least one period of sickness absence, and 17% were involved in a serious occupational accident that required a visit to the local physician. Logistic regression analysis showed that sickness absence occurred more often in small tanneries (OR = 2.7) and also was significantly associated with low-back pain (OR = 3.3) and occupational accidents (OR = 2.2). This epidemiologic survey on health complaints in tannery workers is among the few in occupational populations in low-income countries. For many reasons these populations are easily overlooked. The results of this descriptive study indicate that there is a clear need for epidemiologic surveys in these countries to obtain information on working conditions and associated health problems.