Selected Morbidities among Workers of an Adhesive Plaster Industry in Goa
Abstract
Background: The toxic nature of chemicals & pollutants associated with an adhesive plaster industry is well established. A disastrous health sequel would occur among workers of these industries due to exposure to pollution, created & stored wastes, and constant noise & bright light.
Objective: To describe selected morbidities among workers in an adhesive plaster industry in Goa.
Methodology: The study was conducted over a period of two months during which, the data of 135 workers was obtained from an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Centre catering to an adhesive plaster industry in North Goa which conducted periodic medical check-ups of these workers. The data included socio-demographic characteristics and details regarding selected morbidities among the workers of the adhesive plaster industry.
Result: Among 135 workers, the mean age was 40.96 ± 11.1 years. Majority of the participants were males. It was observed that 5 (3.7 %) had a known history of diabetes and 48 (35.6 %) were hypertensive. Near-vision abnormalities were seen among 66 (48.9 %), whereas 60 (44.4 %) had uncorrected far-vision abnormalities. Obesity was detected among 6 (4.4 %) whereas 40 (29.6 %) were overweight. Obstructive & restrictive respiratory diseases were seen in 3 (2.2 %) & 40 (29.6 %) persons respectively. Audiometry reports revealed 4 (3%) workers had mild to moderate hearing loss.
Conclusion: Workers in the adhesive plaster industry suffered from several lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, as well as occupational diseases like audio-visual impairment and lung diseases. This study emphasizes the importance of periodic medical examinations for timely detection & appropriate treatment of the health conditions among such workers.
How to cite this article:
Naik MV, Kalyani S, Cacodcar JA, Mhalshekar VK, Mhalshekar SV. Selected Morbidities among Workers of an Adhesive Plaster Industry in Goa. Int J Preven Curat Comm Med 2020; 6(2): 12-15.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2454.325X.202007
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