Respiratory symptoms amongst females in a fishing settlement in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Respiratory symptoms amongst females in a fishing settlement in the Niger Delta, Nigeria Résumé
 
Creator Akani, Alexander B. Dienye, Paul O. Okokon, Ita B.
 
Subject Rural Health, Rural Medicine fish smoking; girl child education; Nigeria; Oyorokoto fishing settlement; respiratory symptoms — —
Description Background: Approximately half of the earth’s population in the rural areas of developing countries uses energy obtained from biomass burning, which is harmful to people.Objective: This study is aimed at determining which respiratory symptoms can be associated with biomass burning amongst fish smokers in the Oyorokoto fishing settlement. Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional questionnaire, which employed a modified cluster sampling technique, was used.Results: A total of 300 subjects were recruited for the study, of which 210 (70%) were fish smokers. The mean age was 31.46 ± 13.03 years, with the majority (42.0%) having only primary school education. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms amongst the subjects was 86.7%,the most frequent of which were catarrh (30.48%) and a cough (28.57%). The respiratory symptom occurring least frequently was breathlessness (2.38%). The symptoms most often experienced during fish smoking were those of catarrh (75.5%) and sneezing (73.0%), whereas breathlessness occurred the least, in only 7 (3.3%) of the participants. Sneezing stopped in 64.2% of the subjects after fish smoking had ceased. Most of the fish smoking took place indoors.Conclusion: Health promotion featuring preventive interventions, such as the wearing of facemasks and the use of modern fish smoking methods, which is associated with fewer health risks, is essential to improving the quality of life of fish smokers. The government’s provision of certain social services, including better education opportunities for the young, is advocated, and should be especially targeted at improving the lot of the girl child. Généralités: Approximativement, la moitié de la population vivant en zone rurale dans les pays en voie de développement utilise l'énergie provenant de la combustion de la biomasse, ce qui nocif à l’ homme.Objectif: Cette étude vise à déterminer les symptômes respiratoires pouvant être associés à la combustion de la biomasse chez les fumeuses de poissons dans les zones de pêche d’ Oyorokoto.Méthodes: Etude transversale à l’aide d’ un questionnaire d’ enquête utilisant l’échantillonnage en grappes modifiées.Résultats: Au total, 300 sujets ont été recrutés pour l'étude. 210 (70%) des sujets étaient des fumeuses de poisson. L'âge moyen était de 31,46 ± 13,03 années. La majorité des participants (42,0%) n’avait que le niveau scolaire primaire comme éducation. La prévalence des symptômes respiratoires chez les sujets était de 86,7% ; les symptômes plus fréquents étant le catarrhe (30,48%) et la toux (28,57%) ; et le moins fréquent la dyspnée (2,38%). Les symptômes les plus observés pendant le fumage des poissons étaient : le catarrhe (75,5%) et les éternuements (73,0%). L'essoufflement était rapporté rarement, chez seulement 7 (3,3%) sujets. Un arrêt des éternuements étaient rapportes chez 64,2% des sujets après le fumage. La plupart des poissons étaient fumé à l'intérieur des maisons.Conclusion: la promotion de la santé, en particulier les interventions préventives telles que le port de masques, et l'utilisation des méthodes modernes de fumage du poisson qui associe moins de risques de santé, est essentielle pour améliorer la qualité de vie des fumeuses de poisson. La provision de certains services sociaux par les gouvernements, y compris les meilleurs moyens d'éducation des jeunes, est à préconiser. Cette mesure devra particulièrement cibler le sort de la petite fille.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor Nil —
Date 2011-02-22
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Cross sectional study —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/phcfm.v3i1.152
 
Source African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 3, No 1 (2011); 5 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928
 
Language eng
 
Relation
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https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/152/203 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/152/269 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/152/202 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/152/194 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/downloadSuppFile/152/462 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/downloadSuppFile/152/463 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/downloadSuppFile/152/464 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/downloadSuppFile/152/465 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/downloadSuppFile/152/466
 
Coverage Africa; Nigeria April 2008 - September 2008 15-64 years, Females, Fish smokers — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2011 Alexander B. Akani, Paul O. Dienye, Ita B. Okokon https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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