Knowledge and attitude towards asbestos hazards among asbestos workers in India

Our plain-English summary of Knowledge and attitude towards asbestos hazards among asbestos workers in India, by R.R. Tiwari, A. Saha (The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2015).

The study

• Authors: R.R. Tiwari, A. Saha
• Journal: The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Published: 2015;6(1):58-60
• Type of article: Letter
• Cited by: 1 article, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

In plain English

This short correspondence reported a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 117 male workers at six small-scale asbestos product units in India, which were all the operational units on a list the authors obtained from the concerned department. Two units made friction materials and four made asbestos textiles. Each answer was scored 1 if correct and 0 if incorrect, and the authors reported mean scores. The workers' mean age was 31.6 years. In the table, every worker scored 1 on knowing asbestos was used at work, that it is harmful, and using protective equipment. Mean scores were low for having received training in safe handling (0.09), knowing asbestos hazards are compensable (0.03), periodic medical examination (0.05) and chest x-ray since joining (0.06). The written text gives different figures in places: for example, nearly half of workers not knowing they handled asbestos, and 13.7% ever x-rayed. The authors reported that workers used a piece of cloth as a mask rather than a respirator. The authors concluded that workers need to be taught about asbestos and its safe disposal.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire survey (knowledge, attitude and practices), published as a short correspondence
• Who was studied: All 117 workers, all male, in six small-scale asbestos products manufacturing units in India. These were the only operational units on a list obtained from 'the concerned department' at the time of study. The department, the region and the study dates are not stated.
• Exposure: Work in small-scale units manufacturing asbestos friction materials (2 units) or asbestos textiles (4 units); fiber type and exposure levels not given
• Main results:
  • Workers had a mean age of 31.6 (SD 9.8) years and a mean length of service of 5.3 years
  • Mean score for having received training for safe handling of asbestos was 0.09 (SD 0.28)
  • Mean score for knowing asbestos hazards are compensable was 0.03 (SD 0.16)
  • Mean scores were 0.58 (SD 0.49) on how severe the harm is and 0.65 (SD 0.48) on the type of health hazards caused by asbestos
  • In the table, mean score for undergoing periodic medical examination was 0.05 (SD 0.22) and for chest x-ray since joining was 0.06 (SD 0.24)
  • The text states that no worker had a pre-placement examination, about one-fourth had periodic medical examination, and 13.7% were ever radiographed
  • Workers used a piece of cloth as a mask instead of an appropriate respirator, although the table shows a mean score of 1.00 for using protective equipment while working
  • Mean score on disposal of asbestos waste was 0.71 (SD 0.46); the authors reported that most workers were recycling the waste
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that workers need to be taught about asbestos and its safe disposal, which they said would increase safety awareness and prevent environmental threats
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors suggested that workers' affirmative answers on protective equipment use may reflect employers telling them how to respond

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Asbestosis.

Related studies

• Impact of a nursing education program about caring for patients in Japan with malignant pleural mesothelioma on nurses' knowledge, difficulties and attitude: a randomized control trial — Y. Nagamatsu, Y. Natori, et al. (2014)
• Government and Navy knowledge regarding health hazards of asbestos: a state of the science evaluation (1900 to 1970) — K. Franke, D. Paustenbach (2011)
• Are the knowledge of non-malignant asbestos-related diseases and lung function impairment differentially associated with psychological well-being? A cross-sectional study in formerly asbestos-exposed workers in Germany — J. Lang, M.K. Felten, et al. (2019)
• Asbestos knowledge and awareness level in central part of Anatolia — S. Metintas, G. Ak, et al. (2017)
• The environmental history in pediatric practice: a study of pediatricians' attitudes, beliefs, and practices — N. Kilpatrick, H. Frumkin, et al. (2002)
• Changing attitudes and opinions regarding asbestos and cancer 1934-1965 — P.E. Enterline (1991)

Browse return to medical research.