Author(s)

Emmanuel Obazee^1*, Henry Aiwuyo², Anthony Kweki³, Tinuade Obazee⁴, Tinuade Obazee⁴, John Osarenkhoe⁵, Uche Agboje⁶, Beatrice Torere⁷, Nosakhare Ilerhunmwuwa², Uchenna Amaechi⁸, Gabriel Alugba⁹

¹Internal Medicine, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
²Internal Medicine, Brookdale Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
³Internal Medicine/Cardiology Department, Colchester Hospital, ESNEFT, Colchester, UK.
⁴Department of Anaesthesia, Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Nigeria.
⁵Department of Cardiology, Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital, Okada, Nigeria.
⁶Respiratory Medicine, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK.
⁷Internal Medicine, North Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi, USA.
⁸Department of Internal Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁹Internal Medicine, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, New Jersey, USA.

Background: Occupational health is an important consideration, especially for people that work in an environment with pollutants. Gasoline attendants are individuals that work in filling stations. They are constantly exposed to gasoline fumes and automobile engine products from vehicle exhaust. This increases the risk of acute and chronic respiratory diseases and carcinogenesis among them. The risk of health complications tends to increase with the duration of exposure. The study aimed to determine the proportion of gasoline attendants with lung function impairment. Methods and Materials: Two hundred and eight eligible participants were recruited for this study. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in Esan West local government area of Edo state, Nigeria. The study was carried out for a period of six months from December 2015 to May 2016. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on demographic characteristics, work history, mode of exposure and duration of exposure to petrol fumes. Lung function was assessed using a DTspiro spirometer (Model POP 10. Serial no 110843-005); also the anthropometric parameters of the respondent were measured. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 20.0. Frequency and percentages were used to present categorical data. The mean and standard deviation of continuous variables were calculated and compared using the student’s t-test. The criteria of significant association were assumed for a p-value less than 0.05. Results: A total of one hundred and forty petrol pump attendants and one hundred and forty controls participated in this study. The mean age for petrol pump attendants was 24 ± 3.1 years and 23 ± 2.8 years for the control group. There were no significant differences in the gender distribution and anthropometric parameters as observed in this study. The lung impairment pattern observed in this study was obstructive in twelve (8.6%) gasoline pump attendants and restrictive pattern in thirty-nine (27.9%) gasoline pump attendants, while only four (2.9%) had an obstructive pattern and twelve (8.6%) had a restrictive pattern of lung impairment among the control group. This implies that a restrictive pattern was predominant. This study also observed that there was an increase in the number of gasoline pump attendants with declined lung function compared to the control group. Conclusion: Restrictive pattern of lung impairment was more predominant than the obstructive pattern among gasoline pump attendants. As a result, public health interventions should be instituted among these individuals, especially in developing countries.

Lung Function Test, Lung Impairment, Lung Impairment Pattern, Gasoline Attendants, Occupational Hazards, Cross-Sectional Study

Obazee, E. , Aiwuyo, H. , Kweki, A. , Obazee, T. , Obazee, T. , Osarenkhoe, J. , Agboje, U. , Torere, B. , Ilerhunmwuwa, N. , Amaechi, U. and Alugba, G. (2023) Lung Function Impairment among Gasoline Attendants: A Cross-Sectional Study. Open Journal of Respiratory Diseases, 13, 48-63. doi: 10.4236/ojrd.2023.133005.