Abstract:
Background: Exposure to indoor biomass smoke is a major global public health issue affecting about half the world’s population. Several studies have associated biomass smoke generated from unvented cook stoves to several diseases including chronic cough, phlegm production, COPD, lung cancer. But very few studies considered women in traditional smokehouses.
Objective: This study assesses the prevalence of self-reported respiratory symptoms, exposure indicators of biomass smoke (i.e. 6-hr personal carbon monoxide (CO), average number of years spent smoking fish and average number of hours spent per day smoking fish) and the association between indicators of biomass smoke exposure and respiratory symptoms among commercial fish smokers in traditional smokehouses at Aboadze and Abuesi in the Western Region.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July 2016 among smokehouse helpers. 314 women were recruited during the season and interviewed. Sixty one (61) women were randomly sub-sampled for 6hr-personal CO monitoring.
Results: Self-reported symptoms of chronic cough (72.90%), breathlessness (69.79%), phlegm production (67.65%) and wheezing (61.19%). The average mean 6hr-personal CO exposure was 18.23 ppm (standard deviation: 13.06 ppm). There was an increasing risk of self-reported chronic cough with increasing average number of years of experience in fish smoking (p=0.0459). The prevalence ratio (PR) for 10-18 hrs, 18-25 hrs and >25 hrs were 1.07 (1.00-1.15), 1.15 (1.01-1.32) and 1.24 (1.01-1.52) respectively. The risk of self-reported phlegm production increased with increasing average number of years of experience in fish smoking (p=0.0120). The PR for 10-18 hrs, 18-25 hrs and >25 hrs were 1.10 (1.02-1.18), 1.21 (1.04-1.40) and 1.33 (1.07-1.65 Conclusion: In conclusion, this study shows that number of years spent as a fish smoker increased with increasing risk respiratory symptoms. Average number of hours spent in the smokehouse showed an exposure-response relationship with symptoms of wheezing and breathlessness. However, there was no significant association between personal CO exposure levels and respiratory symptoms.
Keywords: Smokehouses, respiratory symptoms, fish smokers, carbon monoxide, Aboadze and Abuesi.) respectively.
