ABSTRACT
The present study was conducted to examine adverse pulmonary effects of exposure to cotton dust in Isfahan All employed workers of Bafnaz textile factory were studied by medical interview, physical examinations, and spirometry in symptomatic subjects. Frequency tables were used to extract major symptoms and pulmonary illnesses. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate relationships between illnesses and possible risk factors. All workers had some potential exposure to cotton dust; mean employment duration was 18.20 +/- 5.34 years. Prevalence of chronic cough, chronic bronchitis, asthma, and byssinosis was 2.4%, 30.8%, 9.2%, and 3.9% respectively. Odds ratios [OD]and 95% confidence interval [CI]for prevalence of chronic bronchitis and byssinosis in those working in most dusty jobs, after adjustment for age, smoking habit and duration of employment were; 1.77 [1.10-3.04], and 1.41 [1.33-2.63] respectively. In these textile workers, chronic respiratory symptoms and disorders were associated with job category after correction for age and smoking habits. These data support the evidence for an increased prevalence of respiratory disease in populations exposed to cotton dust