Figure 1
Map of Barjora, West Bengal, India.
Table 1
Characteristics of Coal-based Sponge Iron Factory Workers With and Without Any Chronic Respiratory Disease, Asthma, or Rhinoconjunctivitis.
| Any chronic respiratory disease (n = 258, includes 11 unknown) | Asthma (n = 258) | Rhinoconjunctivitis (n = 258) | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No (n = 181) | Yes (n = 66) | P | No (n = 235) | Yes (n = 23) | P | No (n = 214) | Yes (n = 44) | P | ||||||||||
| Age | 35.5 (8.5) | * | 35.0 (7.4) | * | 0.710 | † | 35.5 (8.2) | * | 34.5 (7.7) | * | 0.582 | † | 35.8 (8.3) | * | 33.5 (7.3) | * | 0.085 | † |
| Mother tongue | 0.803 | 0.490 | 0.287 | |||||||||||||||
| Bengali | 155 (85.6) | 58 (87.9) | 200 (85.1) | 22 (95.7) | 186 (86.9) | 36 (81.8) | ||||||||||||
| Other | 21 (11.6) | 7 (10.6) | 28 (11.9) | 1 (4.3) | 22 (10.3) | 7 (15.9) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 5 (2.8) | 1 (1.5) | 7 (3.0) | 0 | 6 (2.8) | 1 (2.3) | ||||||||||||
| Religion | 1.000 | 0.256 | 0.406 | |||||||||||||||
| Hindu | 173 (95.6) | 63 (95.5) | 226 (96.2) | 21 (91.3) | 206 (96.3) | 41 (93.2) | ||||||||||||
| Islam | 8 (4.4) | 3 (4.5) | 9 (3.8) | 2 (8.7) | 8 (3.7) | 3 (6.8) | ||||||||||||
| Social caste | 0.195 | 0.354 | 0.458 | |||||||||||||||
| General | 109 (60.2) | 45 (68.2) | 145 (61.7) | 16 (69.6) | 137 (64.0) | 24 (54.6) | ||||||||||||
| SC/ST/OBC | 69 (38.1) | 19 (28.8) | 86 (36.6) | 6 (26.1) | 75 (35.1) | 17 (38.6) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 3 (1.7) | 2 (3.0) | 4 (1.7) | 1 (4.3) | 2 (0.9) | 3 (6.8) | ||||||||||||
| Marriage | 0.638 | 0.196 | 0.150 | |||||||||||||||
| Yes | 157 (86.7) | 54 (81.8) | 204 (86.8) | 17 (73.9) | 186 (86.9) | 35 (79.6) | ||||||||||||
| No | 24 (13.3) | 10 (15.2) | 30 (12.8) | 5 (21.7) | 26 (12.2) | 9 (20.4) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 0 | 2 (3.0) | 1 (0.4) | 1 (4.4) | 2 (0.9) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Education | 0.568 | 1.000 | 0.171 | |||||||||||||||
| Literate | 156 (86.2) | 59 (89.4) | 205 (87.2) | 21 (91.3) | 190 (88.8) | 36 (81.8) | ||||||||||||
| Illiterate | 24 (13.3) | 7 (10.6) | 29 (12.4) | 2 (8.7) | 23 (10.7) | 8 (18.2) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 1 (0.5) | 0 | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Work type | 0.239 | 0.318 | 0.372 | |||||||||||||||
| Nonmanual | 34 (18.8) | 17 (25.8) | 50 (21.3) | 7 (30.4) | 45 (21.0) | 12 (27.3) | ||||||||||||
| Manual | 146 (80.7) | 49 (74.2) | 184 (78.3) | 16 (69.6) | 168 (78.5) | 32 (72.7) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 1 (0.5) | 0 | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Hours/day | 0.452 | 1.000 | 1.000 | |||||||||||||||
| 8 | 161 (89.0) | 62 (93.9) | 212 (90.2) | 21 (91.3) | 193 (90.2) | 40 (90.9) | ||||||||||||
| >8 | 18 (9.9) | 4 (6.1) | 21 (8.9) | 2 (8.7) | 19 (8.9) | 4 (9.1) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 2 (1.1) | 0 | 2 (0.9) | 0 | 2 (0.9) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Salary/month | 0.886 | 0.975 | 0.367 | |||||||||||||||
| ≥5395 INR | 45 (24.9) | 17 (25.8) | 62 (26.4) | 6 (26.1) | 54 (25.2) | 14 (31.8) | ||||||||||||
| <5395 INR | 136 (75.1) | 49 (74.2) | 173 (73.6) | 17 (73.9) | 160 (74.8) | 30 (68.2) | ||||||||||||
| Total duration | 9.9 (13.7) | * | 9.4 (11.6) | * | 0.667 | † | 10.2 (14.7) | * | 7.9 (3.1) | * | 0.974 | † | 10.5 (15.3) | * | 7.7 (3.3) | * | 0.557 | † |
| Smoking | 0.541 | 0.438 | 0.373 | |||||||||||||||
| No | 106 (58.6) | 36 (54.5) | 133 (56.6) | 15 (65.2) | 120 (56.1) | 28 (63.6) | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 74 (40.9) | 30 (45.5) | 101 (43.0) | 8 (34.8) | 93 (43.4) | 16 (36.4) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 1 (0.5) | 0 | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Smokeless tobacco | 0.444 | 0.659 | 0.755 | |||||||||||||||
| No | 89 (49.2) | 29 (43.9) | 113 (48.1) | 10 (43.5) | 101 (47.2) | 22 (50.0) | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 91 (50.3) | 37 (56.1) | 121 (51.5) | 13 (56.5) | 112 (52.3) | 22 (50.0) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 1 (0.5) | 0 | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Drinking | 0.086 | 0.809 | 0.081 | |||||||||||||||
| No | 119 (65.8) | 36 (54.6) | 146 (62.1) | 15 (65.2) | 139 (64.9) | 22 (50.0) | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 60 (33.1) | 30 (45.4) | 87 (37.0) | 8 (34.8) | 74 (34.6) | 21 (47.7) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 2 (1.1) | 0 | 2 (0.9) | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 1 (2.3) | ||||||||||||
| House type | 0.925 | 0.858 | 0.220 | |||||||||||||||
| Pucca/semipucca | 88 (48.6) | 32 (48.5) | 116 (49.3) | 11 (47.8) | 102 (47.6) | 25 (56.8) | ||||||||||||
| Kachha | 91 (50.3) | 34 (51.5) | 117 (49.8) | 12 (52.2) | 111 (51.9) | 18 (40.9) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 2 (1.1) | 0 | 2 (0.9) | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 1 (2.3) | ||||||||||||
| People in a room | 0.115 | 0.024 | 0.672 | |||||||||||||||
| <3 | 63 (34.8) | 16 (24.2) | 69 (29.4) | 12 (52.2) | 66 (30.8) | 15 (34.1) | ||||||||||||
| ≥3 | 118 (65.2) | 50 (75.8) | 166 (70.6) | 11 (47.8) | 148 (69.2) | 29 (65.9) | ||||||||||||
| Pet | 0.564 | 0.390 | 0.503 | |||||||||||||||
| No | 83 (45.9) | 33 (50.0) | 114 (48.5) | 9 (39.1) | 100 (46.7) | 23 (52.3) | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 98 (54.1) | 33 (50.0) | 121 (51.5) | 14 (60.9) | 114 (53.3) | 21 (47.7) | ||||||||||||
| Domestic cooking fuel | 0.303 | 0.213 | 0.791 | |||||||||||||||
| Cleaner fuel | 107 (59.1) | 44 (66.7) | 142 (60.4) | 17 (73.9) | 131 (61.2) | 28 (63.6) | ||||||||||||
| Biomass fuel | 73 (40.3) | 22 (33.3) | 92 (39.2) | 6 (26.1) | 82 (38.3) | 16 (36.4) | ||||||||||||
| Other | 1 (0.6) | 0 | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Kitchen | 0.786 | 0.998 | 0.579 | |||||||||||||||
| Yes | 134 (74.0) | 48 (72.7) | 173 (73.6) | 17 (73.9) | 156 (72.9) | 34 (77.3) | ||||||||||||
| No | 46 (25.4) | 18 (27.3) | 61 (26.0) | 6 (26.1) | 57 (26.6) | 10 (22.7) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 1 (0.6) | 0 | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Chimney/exhaust fan | 0.482 | 0.430 | 0.190 | |||||||||||||||
| Yes | 14 (7.7) | 7 (10.6) | 19 (8.1) | 3 (13.0) | 16 (7.5) | 6 (13.6) | ||||||||||||
| No | 166 (91.7) | 59 (89.4) | 214 (91.0) | 20 (87.0) | 196 (91.6) | 38 (86.4) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 1 (0.6) | 0 | 2 (0.9) | 0 | 2 (0.9) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Family history | 0.017 | 0.001 | 0.654 | |||||||||||||||
| No | 137 (75.7) | 40 (60.6) | 173 (73.6) | 9 (39.1) | 151 (70.6) | 31 (70.5) | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 33 (18.2) | 21 (31.8) | 45 (19.2) | 11 (47.8) | 45 (21.0) | 11 (25.0) | ||||||||||||
| Unknown | 11 (6.1) | 5 (7.6) | 17 (7.2) | 3 (13.1) | 18 (8.4) | 2 (4.5) | ||||||||||||
| Health insurance | 0.451 | 0.584 | 0.880 | |||||||||||||||
| No | 35 (19.3) | 10 (15.1) | 46 (19.6) | 3 (13.0) | 41 (19.2) | 8 (18.2) | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 146 (80.7) | 56 (84.9) | 189 (80.4) | 20 (87.0) | 173 (80.8) | 36 (81.8) | ||||||||||||
[i] n (%), χ2 test. P value excludes unknown.
INR, Indian rupees; OBC, other backward class; SC, scheduled caste; ST, scheduled tribe.
* Mean (SD).
† Simple logistic regression.
Table 2
Multiple Backward Stepwise Regression Analyses to Determine Factors Independently Associated with the Presence of any Chronic Respiratory Disease, Asthma, or Rhinoconjunctivitis.
| OR | 95% CI | P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any chronic respiratory disease | |||
| Family history | |||
| No | 1 | 0.024 | |
| Yes | 0.47 | 0.24–0.91 | |
| Asthma | |||
| People in a room | |||
| <3 | 1 | 0.023 | |
| ≥3 | 2.86 | 1.16–7.07 | |
| Family history | |||
| No | 1 | 0.001 | |
| Yes | 0.20 | 0.08–0.53 | |
| Rhinoconjunctivitis | |||
| Age | 1.04 | 1.00–1.09 | 0.078 |
| Education | |||
| Literate | 1 | 0.038 | |
| Illiterate | 0.34 | 0.12–0.94 | |
| Drinking | |||
| No | 1 | 0.096 | |
| Yes | 0.56 | 0.28–1.11 | |
| Social caste | |||
| General | 1 | 0.517 | |
| SC/ST/OBC | 0.77 | 0.36–1.68 | |
| House type | |||
| Pucca/semipucca | 1 | 0.027 | |
| Kachha | 2.44 | 1.11–5.39 | |
[i] OBC, other backward class; SC, scheduled caste; ST, scheduled tribe.