Factors associated with occupational asthma among food industry workers: A systematic review

Occupational asthma (OA) is a type of Work-Related Asthma characterised by variable airflow limitation and/or inflammation due to causes and conditions attributable to a particular occupational environment, and not to stimuli encountered outside the workplace. There is an increasing need to extend t...

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Main Authors: Md Zamri, Ahmed Syahmi Syafiq, Saruddin, Muhammad Zulhilmie, Harun, Amin, Abd. Aziz, Siti Fatimah, Aizad Za’bah, Abi Khairul, Dapari, Rahmat, Hassan, Mohd Rohaizat, Che Dom, Nazri, Syed Abdul Rahim, Syed Sharizman
Format: Article
Published: Public Library of Science 2023
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107953/
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287040
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Summary:Occupational asthma (OA) is a type of Work-Related Asthma characterised by variable airflow limitation and/or inflammation due to causes and conditions attributable to a particular occupational environment, and not to stimuli encountered outside the workplace. There is an increasing need to extend the depth of knowledge of OA to better manage this condition, especially among food industry workers who are affected by it. Objective This systematic review aimed to determine the factors associated with occupational asthma among food industry workers by electronically collecting articles from two databases (Medline and Scopus). Methods This systematic review was prepared in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses) updated guideline. Two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts of the collected data, which were then stored in Endnote20 based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included articles have been critically appraised to assess the quality of the studies using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Result The search yielded 82 articles from Medline and 85 from SCOPUS, resulting in 167 unique hits. Only 22 articles have been included in the full-text assessment following a rigorous selection screening. Of the 22 articles identified, five were included in the final review. Several factors were found to have contributed to occupational asthma among food industry workers. They were classified into two categories: (1) work environment-related factors; and (2) individual factors. Conclusion Several work environment and individual-related factors were found to be associated with OA among food industry workers. A better understanding of the development of the disease and its potential risk factors is needed because it can affect worker’s quality of life. Pre-employment and periodic medical surveillance should be conducted to assess and detect any possible risk of developing occupational asthma among workers.