Respiratory Health Symptoms and Lung Function among Roadside Hawkers in Serdang and Its Association with Traffic-Related Exposures

Background: The main objective of this study was to determine the respiratory health symptoms among roadside hawkers in Serdarig, Malaysia and its association with traffic-related exposures. Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 60 roadside hawkers while 60. restaurants workers were included as the comparative group in 2015. A questionnaire was used to collect background information and symptoms of respiratory health. All participants performed lung function tests. Personal exposure to traffic related fine Particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO) were Performed among a representative grout) of workers. All statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Results: The mean (standard deviation) PM2.5 exposure among the roadside hawkers was 31.05 (1.62) mu g/m(3) while the exposure among the comparative group was 19.41 (1.51) mu g/m(3) (P<0.05). The mean exposure level of CO among the roadside hawkers was 2.42 (0.29) ppm compared to 1.51 (0.14) ppm among comparative group. FEV1 (litres) (z = -1.96, P=0.04) of the exposed group was significantly lower than the comparative group. Respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness, coughing and phlegm were significantly higher among exposed group (P<0.05). There were significant associations between the reporting of wheezing; with PM2.5 (Odds Ratio, OR=10,39, 95% Confidence In terval, CI=2.67-40.41), working duration (OR=13.36, 95%CI=3.13-57.03) and current smoking status (OR=3.34, 95%CI=1.04-10.67) Conclusion.: Roadside hawkers are exposed to high traffic-related pollutants, had reduced lung function, and are at risk for increased respiratory health symptoms. The study suggested the importance of preventive management for this specific group of workers.