scholarly journals Prevalence of Respiratory Symptoms among Quarry Workers in Brunei Darussalam

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashish Trivedi ◽  
Alice S.C Lai ◽  
Mahmud Tasim ◽  
Nik A.A Tuah
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Respiratory Illnesses ◽  
Work Settings ◽  
Preventative Measures ◽  
Brunei Darussalam ◽  
Long Latency ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
St George's Respiratory Questionnaire ◽  
Low Prevalence

Background: The mining and quarrying industry is considered a hazardous work sector due to occupational exposure to quarry dust and particulate matter, resulting in workers' respiratory illnesses. These occupational respiratory illnesses tend to have a long latency before the diagnosis is made, and therefore early detection of respiratory symptoms is crucial to prevent the development of chronic irreversible respiratory conditions. This study aimed to assess quarry workers' self-reported respiratory symptoms and their health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Brunei. Methods: A descriptive study using a convenient sampling method was involving 23 quarry workers from three quarry companies in Brunei. The data were collected using the adapted St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), which was self-administered to all participants. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Cough was the most typical reported symptom (26.1%) among quarry workers, followed by cough with phlegm (8.6%), shortness of breath (4.3%), and chest discomfort (4.3%). The mean total SGRQ score was 7.51 (±11.70), while the sub-domain scores for symptoms, activity, and impact were 10.60 (±12.37), 6.30 (±11.43), and 7.35 (±15.87), respectively. Conclusion: The key findings revealed that there was a low prevalence of respiratory symptoms in quarry workers. Prevalence of respiratory symptoms was higher among workers who were smokers, those who were exposed to quarry materials, and those who had been employed longer. The study's findings can be utilized by health professionals to plan, implement and evaluate preventative measures for mining and quarrying work settings.

Effectiveness of Teleassistance at Improving Quality of Life in People with Neuromuscular Diseases

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Martínez ◽  
Amaia Jometón ◽  
Manuel Pérez ◽  
Esther Lázaro ◽  
Imanol Amayra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Neuromuscular Diseases ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Low Prevalence ◽  
Psychosocial Domain

AbstractRare neuromuscular diseases (NDs) are a group of inherited or acquired neurological pathologies affecting the muscles and the nervous system. Their low prevalence and high geographical dispersion can cause isolation and difficulties in social interaction between affected equals. New technologies, such as videoconferencing, offer a complementary option for improving the health of this population. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a teleassistance program at improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL) through social interaction in adults with NDs. The sample consisted of 45 participants affected by rare NDs. Twenty-four participants were assigned to the experimental group (EG), which participated in the videoconferencing sessions, and 21 to the control group. Three questionnaires were administered: WHO-DAS II, Sickness Impact Profile, and SF-36 Health Survey. Effectiveness was assessed by a pre-post design. An online psychosocial program was applied over three-month period. Data revealed an improvement of the EG in psychosocial variables, e.g. “Getting along with people” (z = –2.289, r = –.47, p ≤ .05) or “Psychosocial Domain” (z = –2.404, r = –.49, p ≤ .05), and in physical variables, e.g. “Life activities” (z = –2.844, r = –.58, p ≤ .05). Social interaction appeared as a relevant factor at improving HRQoL levels. High levels of satisfaction about the teleassistance program were reported.

scholarly journals Impact of Gender on the Characteristics of Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Included in the RaDiCo-ILD Cohort

Respiration ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Vincent Cottin ◽  
Sonia Gueguen ◽  
Stéphane Jouneau ◽  
Hilario Nunes ◽  
Bruno Crestani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Prior History ◽  
High Resolution Computed Tomography ◽  
Phenotypic Differences ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
St George's Respiratory Questionnaire ◽  
History Of ◽  
Gender Specific

<b><i>Background:</i></b> There is growing evidence of gender-specific phenotypic differences among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which may affect patient outcomes. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> We present the characteristics of patients with IPF at inclusion in the French Rare Disease Cohort – Interstitial Lung Disease (RaDiCo-ILD) with the aim of characterizing gender-specific phenotypic differences. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Patients with IPF who were enrolled in the national, multicentre RaDiCo-ILD cohort were included. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores, pulmonary function, chest imaging, and IPF treatment were collected at inclusion and described by gender. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The cohort included 724 patients with IPF (54% of RaDiCo-ILD cohort), of whom 82.9% were male. The proportion of male and female patients with a prior history of smoking was 75.0% and 26.8%, respectively. Emphysema was present in 17.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.0, 24.0) of men and 5.4% (95% CI: 1.2, 9.6) of women. At inclusion, females had poorer HRQoL than males based on St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire scores (48.5 [95% CI: 43.9, 53.0] and 41.5 [39.4, 43.6], respectively). The mean forced vital capacity per cent predicted was 77.7% (95% CI: 76.2, 79.3) and 87.4% (83.4, 91.4) for males and females, respectively. Honeycombing on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was present in 70.8% (95% CI: 61.0, 80.6) of males and 45.8% (95% CI: 35.1, 56.5) of females. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This analysis of patients with IPF at inclusion in the RaDiCo-ILD cohort provides evidence that comorbid emphysema, lung volume reduction, and honeycombing on HRCT are more common characteristics of males than females.

scholarly journals Health-related quality of life of patients diagnosed with COPD in Extremadura, Spain: results from an observational study

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Merino ◽  
◽  
Renata Villoro ◽  
Álvaro Hidalgo-Vega ◽  
Concepción Carmona
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Stepwise Multiple Regression ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
St George's Respiratory Questionnaire

Abstract Background COPD is a high prevalence chronic disease that involves large reductions of health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients. This study aims to describe the HRQL of patients with COPD in Extremadura (Spain). Methods This is a cross-sectional observational study carried out using a representative sample of patients diagnosed with COPD in Extremadura. The inclusion criteria were patients of legal age, diagnosed with COPD at least 12 months prior to the visit, residing in Extremadura, with electronic medical records available for the 12 months prior to the visit and providing informed consent. The intervention aimed to elicit HRQL indicators obtained from two validated questionnaires: EuroQol - 5 Dimensions - 5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L), and St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire-COPD (SGRQ-C). The main outcome measures were general HRQL (utility and visual analogue scale) and specific quality of life of COPD patients (total score and three component scores: Symptoms, Activity, and Impacts). Stepwise multiple regression analysis was applied to evaluate the association of EQ-5D-5L and SGRQ-C with respect to clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of the patients. Results We recruited 386 patients (mean age 71.8 ± 10.3 years, 76.2% males). In the EQ-5D-5L, participants reported greater problems with respect to mobility (56.5%) and pain/discomfort (48.2%). The mean utility was 0.72 ± 0.31, and the SGRQ-C total score was 40.9 ± 25.0. The results of both questionnaires were associated with number of exacerbations in the last 12 months, level of COPD severity, gender, and education level of the patient (p < 0.05). Conclusions The results for both utility and total SGRQ-C score indicate that having suffered exacerbations in the last year, presenting a higher level of severity, being a woman, and having a low education level are related to worse HRQL in patients with COPD.

scholarly journals Respiratory symptoms, COPD severity, and health related quality of life in a general population sample

2008 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Voll-Aanerud ◽  
Tomas M.L. Eagan ◽  
Tore Wentzel-Larsen ◽  
Amund Gulsvik ◽  
Per S. Bakke
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
General Population ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
General Population Sample ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related
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