RISK FACTORS OF BYSSINOSIS SYMPTOMS AMONGSEWING UNIT WORKERS AT PT. X, SEMARANG

Background: Byssinosis, a cotton lung disease, is work-related respiratory symptoms found mainly in workers at textile industries. Byssinosis remains one of the health problems in developing countries related to cotton dust from industrial textile production processes. This study aimed to determine the risk factors of byssinosis symptoms among sewing unit workers at PT. X, Semarang. Subjects and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from February to August 2020 at sewing unit PT. X, Semarang, Central Java. A total of 205 sewing unit workers was selected for this study. The dependent variable was symptoms of byssinosis. The independent variables were age, working time, wearing a face mask, and knowledge of the workers. The study subjects were selected by simple random sampling technique. The data were collected by questionnaires, observations, and reports. Bivariate analysis was carried out by using the chi-square method. Results: Byssinosis symptoms increased with age (OR= 1.55; CI= 0.85 to 2.83; p= 0.195), working time (OR= 6.02; 95% CI= 3.28 to 11.05; p= 0.001), without wearing face mask (OR= 9.14; 95% CI= 4.81 to 17.39; p= 0.001), and good knowledge of workers (OR= 0.87; 95% CI= 0.50 to 1.51; p= 0.728). Conclusion: Age, working time, and without wearing face mask are risk factors, while good knowledge of workers is a protective factor of byssinosis. It is recommended that the personal protective equipment be adequately supplied and regulations strictly enforced for its use within the work environment.