Does occupational air pollution threaten the lung health of indoor workers more than those of bus drivers?: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the lung health between professional bus drivers and white collar workers in metropolis municipality from Turkey. Material and methods: Out of 126 bus drivers and 1100 office employees, data were analyzed from 243 indoor employees and 57 bus drivers. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, forced expiratory flow (FEF) 25-75% were measured, some data were collected with a questionnaire (work and environmental anamnesis, symptoms, smoking). Results: The mean (+/- SD) values for FVC, FVC percent predicted value, FEV1, FEV1 percent predicted value, FEV1/FVC were 4.33 +/- 0.99L, 96.5 +/- 18.2%, 3.31 +/- 0.87L, 84.5 +/- 18.2%, 76.30 +/- 9.23%, respectively. Sixty-six participants (22%) had FEV1/FVC proportions of less than 70%. After weighing for the propensity scores, there was a significant difference between bus drivers and indoor workers concerning FEV1/FVC grouping; while 65 (26.1%) indoor workers had FEV1/FVC proportions less than 70%, there were only two (3.9%) bus drivers (Chi-Square = 12.009, p = .001). The mean spirometry values were significantly different between the two groups in favor of the bus drivers (p < .05). Night cough was much more seen in the indoor workers (Chi-Square test = 9.019, p = .003). Conclusion: We conclude that there are no health risks associated with bus driving in a metropolitan city, concerning lung functions.