AUTHOR=Nazurah bt Abdul Wahid Nurul Nor , Balalla N. B. P , Koh David 

TITLE=Respiratory Symptoms of Vendors in an Open-Air Hawker Center in Brunei Darussalam

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=2

YEAR=2014

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00167

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2014.00167

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> We studied respiratory problems among vendors exposed to cooking fumes in an open-air hawker center. Exposure to cooking fumes from either the use of fossil fuels or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been shown to be associated with adverse respiratory health effects.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We conducted a cross-sectional study among 67 food vendors exposed to cooking fumes as well as 18 merchandise sellers at an open-air hawker center in Brunei Darussalam. Past medical and smoking history and exposure to cooking fumes were obtained. The validated American Thoracic Society Questionnaire with a translated Malay version was used to ask for respiratory symptoms.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Compared to merchandise sellers (<italic>n</italic> = 18), cooking vendors (<italic>n</italic> = 67) had a higher self-reported respiratory symptoms (50.7% for those cooking and 33.3% for merchandise sellers). Cough (28.3%) was the main respiratory symptom experienced in cooking vendors and breathlessness (22.2%) among merchandise sellers. Half (50.0%) of cooking vendors who worked for more than 10 years had cough and 27.3% had phlegm. Those cooking with charcoal were two times more likely to have cough than those cooking with LPG. Cooking vendors with a job duration of more than 10 years were thrice more likely to have cough.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Cooking vendors in the open-air hawker center exposed to cooking fumes had more respiratory symptoms compared to non-exposed merchandise sellers. The type of fuel used for cooking and duration of work was associated with increased prevalence of cough.</p>