Journal
ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Volume 75, Issue 2, Pages 70-74Publisher
ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2019.1606774
Keywords
Asthma; domestic cleaners; Hispanic; occupational health; vulnerable workers
Funding
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Education and Research Center Grant [5T42OH008421]
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The occupational hazards and respiratory symptoms of domestic cleaners in USA are largely unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 56 Hispanic female domestic cleaner on their health status and frequency of cleaning products used and tasks performed. While women used multi-use products (60.0%) and toilet bowl cleaners (51.8%) most days of the week, many (39.3%) reported not using personal protective equipment while cleaning. Itchy/watery eyes (61.8%) and itchy nose (56.4%) were the most frequently reported symptoms. A history of physician-diagnosed asthma was reported by 14.3% while 33.9% had symptoms of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). In conclusion, this vulnerable population has high prevalence of physician-diagnosis asthma and BHR symptoms and is potentially exposed to myriad occupational hazards. Further research exploring associations between products use, cleaning tasks and respiratory symptoms is warranted.
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