Impact of environmental heat exposure on the health status in farmworkers, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

• Autorzy: Sombatsawat E. , Luangwilai T. , Kaewchandee C. , Robson M.G. , Siriwong W.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Background. Thailand is a tropical developing country which has a serious increase in health risk due to hot weather exposure among outdoor workers. Objectives. The aims of this study were to compare the factors related to environmental heat exposure in three different seasons, and to assess the relationship between environmental heat and dehydration status in each season among farmworkers in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Methods. A semi-longitudinal study was carried out in 22 male farmworkers throughout a year of farming. The primary data were collected in farmworkers for socio-demographic information, clinical assessments, and heat-related illnesses. Results. Average of environmental heat index (Median, SD) were severe in summer (WBGT=38.1, 2.8°C), rainy season (WBGT=36.1, 2.1°C), and winter (WBGT=31.5, 2.7°C). Average urine Sp. Gr. in summer, rainy season, and winter were 1.022, 1.020, and 1.018 respectively. The third sentence should be corrected as follows: The Friedman analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the three different seasons in WBGT (wet bulb globe temperature), body temperature, heart rate (P<0.01), and respiratory rate (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between the three different seasons for skin rash/itching, dizziness, muscle cramp dyspnea (P<0.05), and weakness (P<0.01). Wilcoxon signed-ranks analysis found a significant difference in the medians of the paired sets of urine Sp. Gr. values between baseline and summer (P<0.05). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient did not find a relationship between WBGT and urine Sp. Gr. in the three different seasons. Conclusions. This study demonstrated that farmworkers had exposure to environmental heat stress which was expressed through physical changes. Therefore, there is a need for either interventions or guidelines to prevent dehydration for outdoor workers in this region.

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Roczniki Państwowego Zakładu Higieny
• Rocznik: 2023
• Tom: 74
• Numer: 1
• Opis fizyczny: p.103-111,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Sombatsawat E.

• College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
• Faculty of Public Health, Rangsit Campus, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand

autor

Luangwilai T.

• Department of Research and Medical Innovation, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand

autor

Kaewchandee C.

• Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science, Community Public Health, Sisaket Rajabhat University, Thailand

autor

Robson M.G.

• School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

autor

Siriwong W.

• College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Identyfikatory

DOI

10.32394/rpzh.2023.0250