Assessment of Respiratory Quality of Life and Pulmonary Functions among Traffic Police Personnel in an Urban City of Eastern India: A Comparative Study
Ipsita Debata, Aniket Paul, Prem S. Panda, Dibyajyoti Mandal, Ipsa Mohapatra, Sourav PadheeAbstract
Context:
Prolonged air pollution exposure, caused by automobile exhaust, produces severe pulmonary inflammation.
Aims:
The study aimed to assess and compare the respiratory quality of life (RQoL) by the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and pulmonary functions by digital spirometry of the occupationally exposed traffic police personnel and the unexposed general population, in an urban city of Eastern India, and to study the association between RQoL and pulmonary functions in both groups.
Methods:
A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in the urban city from October 2023 to January 2024. A total of 62 “occupationally exposed” traffic policemen and 120 “unexposed” general population were recruited by simple random sampling. Data on the sociodemographic profile was collected by a pretested semi-structured questionnaire, and on RQoL by SGRQ questionnaire. The pulmonary function was evaluated by using a digital spirometer. Data was compiled and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests.
Results:
The occupationally exposed traffic policemen group had significantly higher (
Conclusion:
Due to the nature of employment, the exposed traffic policemen group had significantly poorer RQoL and poorer pulmonary function compared to the unexposed group. There is a dire need to screen, adapt, and strengthen preventive and promotive strategies to manage this issue.