Health Hazards And Quality Of Life Of The Workers In Tobacco Industries: Study From Three Selected Tobacco Industries At Gangachara Thana In Rangpur District Of Bangladesh

Abstract

Objectives: This paper investigates the impact of tobacco on the health status and the quality of life of the tobacco industries workers in Bangladesh by examining the situation prevailing in three selected tobacco industries. Methods: This study analyzes data of 500 tobacco industries workers collected from a field survey from three selected tobacco industries at Gangachara Thana in Rangpur district of Bangladesh. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression method were employed in analyzing the data. Results: It is observed that largest percentage of workers involved in bidi making followed by gull and jarda processing. The sanitation facilities and the ventilation facilities provided by the industries are not so well. Respondents who were working in the factory about 68% of them suffering from various kinds of lung diseases of them maximum suffering from asthma (32%) but interestingly only 5% workers said that in some times the factory give medical allowances some times but it did not fulfill their demand. Bivariate analysis shows that workers who did not use mask during their working period were nearly 5 times more developed the diseases. It was also found that workers socio-economic condition is not so well. Multivariate logistic analysis unveils that children and older persons were more vulnerable for such kinds of diseases and also as the duration of working in the factory increases the risk of diseases also increases. The other contributing factors for health hazards due to tobacco of the tobacco workers are found to be types of works, types of drug addiction, and average hours of work and duration of work in the factory. Conclusions: The results indicate several policy options: (a) the need for creation of awareness among the workers regarding causes of how they are being affected physically how could they are able to overcome the problems; (b) as the majority of the workers were illiterate investment in education for our children and initiatives for equality for women would help the poor to rise from their deplorable conditions in tobacco-related employment; (c) “Tobacco Control Law” should be modified to cover other types of tobacco products and to increase their prices; (d) There is need to ensure the availability of health care centers and proper sanitation facilities by the industries; ; (e) It is equally important that a portion of the profits gained from the sale of tobacco products should evenly distributed among those involved in the work education to bring about a lasting impact on the overall health condition of the tobacco workers.