WOMENS RESPIRATORY HEALTH IN THE COTTON TEXTILE-INDUSTRY - AN ANALYSIS OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN 973 NONSMOKING FEMALE WORKERS

As part of a 1992 survey of both environmental and occupational determ inants of health, 973 non-smoking women aged 20-40 years who were empl oyed in three comparable modern Chinese cotton textile mills were give n a questionnaire that included questions on standard respiratory hist ory and symptoms. All women had some potential exposure to cotton dust ; mean employment was 8.7 years. Comparisons were made between those w ith lowest or no current exposure (job classification in administratio n, quality control, and testing, n = 112) and those in the more heavil y exposed classifications (yarn production areas, n = 861). Associatio n of symptoms with job was tested by logistic regression, adjusting fo r age, passive smoking at home, and the use of home coal burning stove s. Odds ratios for prevalence of current frequent symptoms in those wo rking in production jobs, after adjustment for home exposure to passiv e tobacco smoke and coal heating, were frequent cough 2-23 (95% confid ence interval (95% CI) 1.05-4.75), frequent phlegm 3.24 (1.54-6.84), s hortness of breath 4.54 (1.40-14.72), and wheeze 2.96 (1.16-7.55). Nin e cases with grade I byssinosis (chest tightness or shortness of breat h on return to work after two days off) were found; all were in produc tion jobs. In these non-smoking women textile workers, chronic respira tory symptoms were associated with job category after correction for d omestic indoor air quality. These data support evidence for an increas ed prevalence of respiratory disease in populations exposed to cotton dust.