Black Lung Disease Among Coal Miners in Asia: A Systematic Review

Background

Coal miners are highly prone to occupational health risks, such as black lung disease. This study aims to assess the prevalence of black lung disease and the factors associated with black lung disease among coal miners in Asia.

Method

This systematic review, conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, searched through the scientific literature of the following databases: EBSCO, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus. We selected articles that studied black lung disease among coal miners from 48 countries in Asia and were published between 2014 and 2023. Article quality was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program.

Result

The seven articles that we review studied a total of 653,635 coal miners from various types of coal mines from three countries in Asia. Of these miners, 59,998 experienced black lung disease. Black lung disease is prevalent among 9.18% of coal miners in Asia, which is approximately four times higher than the worldwide prevalence. Common factors that influence black lung disease in Asia include age, years of dust exposure, smoking, drinking, working types, and sizes of mines, type of mines, respiratory functions, spirometry parameters, tenure, lack of attention to occupational health, inefficient surveillance, and weak occupational health service.

Conclusion

Although the prevalence of black lung disease among coal miners in Asia is considerably high, it can be addressed through effective prevention measures, monitoring, control, and case reporting.