Trabalho rural, exposição a poeiras e sintomas respiratórios entre agricultores

OBJETIVO: As condicoes ambientais do trabalho rural, em especial a exposicao as poeiras orgânicas e minerais, tem sido associadas ao aumento de doencas respiratorias. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a prevalencia de sintomas respiratorios entre agricultores e sua associacao com fatores de risco ocupacionais. METODOS: Estudo de delineamento transversal com 1.379 agricultores, de Antonio Prado e Ipe, na Serra Gaucha, em 1996. Foram coletados dados sobre caracteristicas sociodemograficas e producao agricola, bem como a exposicao a poeiras orgânicas e minerais. Os sintomas respiratorios foram aferidos por meio de questionario da American Thoracic Society-Division of Lung Disease modificado. Foi realizada analise de regressao logistica multipla, controlada para fatores de confusao. RESULTADOS: A maioria (52%) dos entrevistados trabalhava em atividades com exposicao intensa a poeiras. Os trabalhadores de estabelecimentos com melhores indicadores economicos referiram menor frequencia de sintomas respiratorios do que os demais agricultores. Os avicultores relataram maior prevalencia de sintomas de doenca respiratoria cronica (OR=1,60; IC 95%: 1,05-2,42). Os agricultores com exposicao intensa a poeiras apresentaram uma elevacao de mais de 70% no risco de sintomas de asma (OR=1,71; IC 95%: 1,10-2,67), como tambem de doenca respiratoria cronica (OR=1,77; IC 95%: 1,25-2,50). CONCLUSOES: Os trabalhadores rurais apresentaram grande exposicao ocupacional a poeiras orgânicas e minerais. Agricultores expostos a concentracoes mais elevadas, como os avicultores, tiveram maior risco de apresentar sintomas respiratorios relacionados ao trabalho. Recomenda-se a implementacao de programas de protecao respiratoria, principalmente para os trabalhadores envolvidos com a producao de aves.

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