Multifaceted Intervention for Protection Against Cotton Dust Exposure Among Textile Workers

NCT03738202 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: MultiTex-RCT
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 2,031
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Textile workers are exposed to various harmful substances during work, including cotton dust, which is the dust present in air during the handling or processing of cotton. Previous research found a link between cotton dust exposure and impaired respiratory health. This study will comprise of administration and workers' training regarding preventive measures for protection against respiratory illnesses. Workers will be provided free, disposable face masks and measures to reduce cotton dust exposure will be introduced at the textile mills. The study would then determine the effectiveness of this intervention on reduction in cotton dust levels in the mills, and improvement in respiratory health of workers. This study would help the cotton textile workers and managers reduce the health hazards of cotton dust exposure and also guide researchers from Pakistan and other low-resource countries towards developing relevant strategies for health protection of these workers.

Conditions

Occupational Diseases; Occupational Lung Disease

Keywords

Randomized controlled trial; Textile industry; Cotton fiber; Byssinosis

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Changes in cotton dust personal exposure levels expressed as mg/m3

  Will be assessed through the use of IOM samplers

  24 months

• Changes in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms

  Will be assessed through MRC respiratory questionnaire; symptoms include chest tightness, cough, phlegm, chronic bronchitis, wheezing and shortness of breath.

  24 months

• Changes in Forced Expiratory Volume in first second (FEV1) measured in in ml

  Will be assessed through spirometry

  24 months

Study Arms (2)

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Multifaceted intervention package will be implemented at textile mills in the intervention arm.

Behavioral: Multifaceted intervention package

Control

NO INTERVENTION

No intervention will be provided to mills in the control arm.

Interventions

Multifaceted intervention package BEHAVIORAL

Multifaceted intervention package will comprise following strategies: 1. Initial training for all workers and managers on occupational health and safety (OHS) 2. Follow-up refresher sessions every three months 3. Formation of workplace committees (including worker representatives) to draw up, agree and promote a health and safety plan that includes wet mopping, safe disposal of cotton dust, and the use of simple face masks, as well as further publicity about the risks from cotton dust. 4. Provision of adequate supplies of face masks to support the health and safety plan

Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Mills from the formal sector will be included.
• Mills which have either spinning or weaving sections, or both.
• Mills that have at least 50-100 workers (primarily labourers/machine operators) in the spinning and weaving sections.
• Mills with a more stable working population will be preferred.
• Willingness of management to participate in planning and implementation of the study.
• Those ≥18 years and employed in the bale opening, blowing, carding, spinning, weaving and waste recycling sections (and related sub-sections).

You may not qualify if:

• Textile workers from the wet-processing areas as well as support or administrative staff will be excluded.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Aga Khan University: lead
• Wellcome Trust: collaborator
• Imperial College London: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Aga Khan University

Karachi, Pakistan

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Nafees AA, De Matteis S, Kadir MM, Burney P, Coggon D, Semple S, Cullinan P. MultiTex RCT - a multifaceted intervention package for protection against cotton dust exposure among textile workers - a cluster randomized controlled trial in Pakistan: study protocol. Trials. 2019 Dec 16;20(1):722. doi: 10.1186/s13063-019-3743-3.

  PMID: 31842937 BACKGROUND

• Nafees AA, Matteis S, Burney P, Cullinan P. Contemporary Prevalence of Byssinosis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2022 Jul;34(5):483-492. doi: 10.1177/10105395211073051. Epub 2022 Jan 24.

  PMID: 35073782 BACKGROUND

• Nafees AA, Iqbal AR, Cullinan P, De Matteis S, Burney P, Semple S. Use of Low-Cost Particle Counters for Cotton Dust Exposure Assessment in Textile Mills in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Ann Work Expo Health. 2022 Apr 22;66(4):537-542. doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxab102.

  PMID: 34791042 RESULT

• Nafees AA, Muneer MZ, De Matteis S, Amaral A, Burney P, Cullinan P. Impact of using different predictive equations on the prevalence of chronic byssinosis in textile workers in Pakistan. Occup Environ Med. 2022 Apr;79(4):242-244. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2021-107680. Epub 2021 Nov 19.

  PMID: 34799440 RESULT

• Nafees AA, Muneer MZ, Irfan M, Kadir MM, Semple S, De Matteis S, Burney P, Cullinan P. Byssinosis and lung health among cotton textile workers: baseline findings of the MultiTex trial in Karachi, Pakistan. Occup Environ Med. 2023 Mar;80(3):129-136. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108533. Epub 2023 Jan 30.

  PMID: 36717255 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Occupational Diseases; Byssinosis

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pneumoconiosis; Lung Diseases, Interstitial; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Injury

Study Officials

• Asaad A Nafees

  Aga Khan University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 8, 2018
• First Posted: November 13, 2018
• Study Start: June 15, 2019
• Primary Completion: July 15, 2022
• Study Completion: July 15, 2022
• Last Updated: August 4, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)