Research Article
Characteristics and Determinants of the Presence of Respiratory Symptoms among Sewage Workers in Malaysia
Table 2
Univariate analyses of the presence of respiratory symptoms among sewage workers (N = 191).
| | Variables | n (%) or mean ± SD | Crude OR (95% CI)a | | Yes | No | | n = 85 | n = 106 |
| | a) Human Assessment |
| | Sociodemographics | | Age | 37.85 ± 10.17 | 33.42 ± 9.38 | 1.05 (1.02–1.08) |
| | Nationality | | Malaysian | 42 (42.9) | 56 (57.1) | 1 | | Non-Malaysian | 43 (46.2) | 50 (53.8) | 1.15 (0.65–2.03) |
| | Level of education | | No formal education | 9 (64.3) | 5 (35.7) | 1 | | Primary | 14 (50.0) | 14 (50.0) | 0.56 (0.15–2.08) | | Secondary | 37 (49.3) | 138 (50.7) | 0.54 (0.17–1.77) | | Tertiary | 25 (33.8) | 49 (66.2) | 0.28 (0.09–0.93) |
| | Marital Status | | Single | 18 (30.5) | 41 (69.5) | 1 | | Married | 67 (50.8) | 65 (49.2) | 2.35 (1.22–4.50) |
| | Job Profile | | History of previous work | | No | 29 (43.9) | 37 (56.1) | 1 | | Yes | 56 (44.8) | 69 (55.2) | 1.04 (0.57–1.89) |
| | Duration of working (years) | 6.99 ± 5.71 | 4.06 ± 4.28 | 1.13 (1.06–1.20) |
| | Working site | | Office | 4 (9.8) | 37 (90.2) | 1 | | Non-STF | 42 (45.7) | 50 (54.3) | 7.77 (2.56–23.58) | | STF | 39 (67.2) | 19 (32.8) | 18.99 (5.91–61.07) |
| | Job type | | White collar | 3 (8.3) | 33 (91.7) | 1 | | Blue collar | 82 (52.9) | 73 (47.1) | 12.36 (3.64–41.99) |
| | Type of job shift | | Nonshift | 54 (37.8) | 89 (62.2) | 1 | | Shift | 31 (64.6) | 17 (35.4) | 3.01 (1.52–5.94) |
| | Exposure to particles per day | | Equal to or less than 4 hours | 63 (50.4) | 62 (49.6) | 1 | | >4 hours | 22 (33.3) | 44 (66.7) | 2.03 (1.09–3.78) |
| | Safety practice | | Every time | 57 (35.6) | 103 (64.4) | 1 | | Sometimes | 28 (90.3) | 3 (9.7) | 16.87 (4.91–57.92) |
| | Risk and comorbidities | | Hx of previous pulmonary disease | | No | 81 (43.5) | 105 (56.5) | 1 | | Yes | 4 (80.0) | 1 (20.0) | 5.19 (0.57–47.29) |
| | Smoking status | | Noncurrent smoker | 57 (35.6) | 103 (64.2) | 1 | | Current smoker | 28 (90.3) | 3 (9.7) | 16.87 (4.91–57.92) |
| | Exhaled CO status | | Normal | 61 (37.0) | 104 (63.0) | 1 | | Abnormal | 24 (92.3) | 2 (7.7) | 20.46 (4.67–89.58) | | Smoking duration (pack years) | 28.6 ± 419.28 | 17.3 ± 11.15 | 1.05 (0.95–1.16) |
| | b) Environmental assessment | | Air humidity | 58.641 ± 7.111 | 56.140 ± 8.700 | 2.56 (0.40–16.57) | | Air movement | 0.331 ± 0.157 | 0.308 ± 0.151 | 1.04 (1.01–1.08) | | Carbon dioxide | 1140.729 ± 390.956 | 979.217 ± 342.102 | 1.001 (1.00–1.002) | | Particulate matter 2.5 | 0.122 ± 0.092 | 0.084 ± 0.078 | 23.35 (5.51–99.09) |
| | Hazard quotient | | Acceptable | 75 (42.4) | 102 (57.6) | 1 | | Nonacceptable | 10 (71.4) | 4 (28.6) | 3.40 (1.03–11.26) | | Hydrogen sulfide exposure | 3.653 ± 3.552 | 1.462 ± 2.297 | 1.33 (1.17–1.52) | | Cumulative H2S exposure | 36.05 ± 50.04 | 5.48 ± 11.55 | 1.063 (1.035–1.092) | | Cumulative PM 2.5 exposure | 592.33 ± 762.66 | 192.98 ± 203.29 | 1.004 (1.002–1.005) |
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Note: a based on simple logistic regression; and significant variables in simple logistic regression with a value of ≤0.05 |
