Search

Introduction \ud Data collection using paper-based questionnaires can be time consuming and return errors affect data accuracy, completeness, and information quality in health surveys. We compared smartphone and paper-based data collection systems in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study in rural Sudan. \ud Methods \ud This exploratory pilot study was designed to run in parallel with the cross-sectional household survey. The Open Data Kit was used to programme questionnaires in Arabic into smartphones. We included 100 study participants (83% women; median age = 41.5 ± 16.4 years) from the BOLD study from 3 rural villages in East-Gezira and Kamleen localities of Gezira state, Sudan. Questionnaire data were collected using smartphone and paper-based technologies simultaneously. We used Kappa statistics and inter-rater class coefficient to test agreement between the two methods. Results Symptoms reported included cough (24%), phlegm (15%), wheezing (17%), and shortness of breath (18%). One in five were or had been cigarette smokers. The two data collection methods varied between perfect to slight agreement across the 204 variables evaluated (Kappa varied between 1.00 and 0.02 and inter-rater coefficient between 1.00 and -0.12). Errors were most commonly seen with paper questionnaires (83% of errors seen) vs smartphones (17% of errors seen) administered questionnaires with questions with complex skip-patterns being a major source of errors in paper questionnaires. Automated checks and validations in smartphone-administered questionnaires avoided skip-pattern related errors. Incomplete and inconsistent records were more likely seen on paper questionnaires. \ud Conclusion \ud Compared to paper-based data collection, smartphone technology worked well for data collection in the study, which was conducted in a challenging rural environment in Sudan. This approach provided timely, quality data with fewer errors and inconsistencies compared to paper-based data collection. We recommend this method for future BOLD studies and other population-based studies in similar settings.

Aims: To correlate the prevalence of respiratory tract symptoms and diseases with dust and fibre exposure in the soft tissue industry in Germany. Methods: Ambient monitoring was performed for inhalable, respirable dust and fibres in seven soft tissue producing factories. In 441 workers (72 controls, 90 moderate, 279 high exposure) a standardised questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, diseases, occupational history, and smoking habits was used. Crude differences in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases were assessed. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relation between the respiratory symptoms/diseases and the cumulative dust and fibre exposure, respectively, while adjusting for age, gender, smoking habits, and factory. The effects of exposure intensity and duration were differentiated by categorising dust/fibre concentrations and years of exposure separately and setting up logistic regression models. Results: The mean concentrations for inhalable, respirable, and fibrous dusts were 10.3 mg/m 3 , 0.22 mg/m 3 , and 415 000 fibres/m 3 . Adjusted odds ratios (OR) with relation to cumulative dust exposure intensity were significantly raised for blocked nose (18.2), mucosal irritation (6.5), dry nose (8.9), cough (3.5), phlegm (7.5), exercise induced dyspnoea (2.6), hoarseness (11.3), and sneezing attacks (7.9) (ORs for highest exposure categories). Cumulative dust or fibre exposure had no significant effects on the prevalence of respiratory diseases. For all symptoms with significantly raised ORs, combined effects of intensity and duration of exposure were found. Conclusions: Because of the high prevalence of respiratory symptoms a reduction of dust exposures is recommended. Chronic exposure effects could not be found in this study, however, a healthy worker effect has to be considered.

Karelia air-pollution. Malodorous sulfur-compounds. Lung-function. Pulmonary-function. Mill workers. Occupational asthma. New-hampshire. Pulp-mills. Dust. Mortality. The respiratory function and Immunological status of workers employed in the paper recycling industry were studied. The mean age of the 101 studied workers was 41 years, and the mean duration of their exposure was 17 years. A group of 87 unexposed workers of similar age, duration of employment, and smoking history was studied for the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms. Lung function in the paper workers was measured by recording maximum expiratory flow volume (MEFV) curves and recording forced vital capacity (FVC), 1-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1), and maximum expiratory flow rates at 50% and the last 25 % of the FVC (FEF50, FEF25). Immunological studies were performed in all 101 paper workers and in 37 control workers (volunteers). These included skin-prick tests with paper-dust extracts and other nonoccupational allergens, as well as the measurement of total serum immunoglobulin E. Significantly higher prevalences of all chronic respiratory symptoms were found in paper compared with control workers (P < 0.01). The highest prevalences were found for chronic cough (36.6%), chronic phlegm (34.7%), chronic bronchitis (33.7%), sinusitis (31.7%), and dyspnea (18.8%). Occupational asthma was diagnosed in four(4.0%) of the paper workers. A logistic regression analysis performed on chronic respiratory symptoms of paper workers indicated significant effects of smoking and exposure, with the smoking effect bring the most important. Multivariate analysis of lung-function parameters indicate significant effects of exposure. For paper workers, the measured FEF50 and FEF25 were significantly decreased, compared with predicted values, suggesting obstructive changes located primarily in smaller airways. Among 101 tested paper workers, 16 (15.8%) had positive shin-prick tests to at least one of the paper extracts ; none of the control workers reacted to these extracts. increased serum IgE levels were found in 21% of the paper workers and in 5 % of control workers (P < 0.05). Paper workers with positive skin-prick tests to any of the paper and/or other tested extracts had higher prevalences of chronic respiratory symptoms and lower measured lung-function tests compared with predicted than did those with negative skin-prick tests, but the differences were not statistically significant. The measured concentrations of total and respirable dust in this industry were higher than those recommended by Croatian standards. Our study suggests that work in the paper-recycling industry is associated with respiratory impairment and that sensitive workers employed in this industry may be at particular risk of developing chronic respiratory abnormalities