Prevalence of Work related Respiratory Symptoms and Associated Factors Among Beef Cattle Farmers

Abstract

Respiratory disorders are an occupational health issue commonly found among beef cattle farmers. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of work-related respiratory symptoms and examine the associations between various factors and respiratory symptoms in 431 beef cattle farmers in Hankha District, Chai Nat Province. The research instruments were a questionnaire on the prevalence of work-related respiratory symptoms and the questionnaire on factors related to respiratory symptoms, which was examined for content validity by six experts. The IOC validity was 1.00. The Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the questionnaires were 0.80 and 0.70, respectively. Data were collected from April to June 2024. Descriptive statistics and chi-square were used for data analysis.

The study found that 33.17% of participants had respiratory symptoms in the past year. During work, the most common symptoms included nasal congestion (61.90%), chest tightness (52.50%), and nasal irritation (47.34%). After work in the evening, participants frequently reported a runny nose (29.89%), throat irritation (29.89%), and shortness of breath (28.07%). Symptoms that emerged during breaks included coughing (36.72%), fever or flu-like symptoms (33.33%), and wheezing (32.56%). Key factors significantly linked to respiratory symptoms were prolonged exposure to dust (χ² = 11.09, p < 0.05), inconsistent use of respiratory protection (χ² = 8.00, p < 0.05), exposure to dust from concentrate feed or processed feed (χ² = 4.50, p < 0 .05), exposure to odors or gases from manure (χ² = 10.24, p < 0.05), smoke from burning waste (χ² = 8.78, p < 0.05), and dust from cattle hair or skin (χ² = 7.70, p < 0.05). The findings indicate that beef cattle farmers are at a high risk of work-related respiratory disorders. Therefore, it is crucial to promote the use of respiratory protective masks through measures such as training farmers to recognize their importance, providing suitable masks, improving the work environment, inspecting ventilation systems, and regularly cleaning the workplace to mitigate these risks.