Silicosis among agate workers at Shakarpur: An analysis of clinic-based data

BACKGROUND: There is a high prevalence of silicosis and other morbid conditions leading to early death among agate workers at Khambhat of Gujarat. AIMS: The present study describes the prevalence of X-ray positive silicosis in a sample of a high-risk group visiting a clinic at Shakarpur of Khambhat. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional study among 123 clinically suspected cases was conducted over 6 months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A chest physician and a radiologist independently evaluated the Chest X-rays of 123 clinically suspected patients of silicosis. Silicosis was confirmed if either of them rated the X-ray as positive. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were done using SPSS software version 14. RESULTS: Out of 123 cases, 85 (69.1%) were confirmed as silicosis. There was no significant difference in the prevalence between males (70.3%) and females (69.4%). Workers with more than 10 years of exposure to silica had an odd ratio of 4.8, 95% CI (1.76, 13.60) compared to those with less than 10 years of exposure. A logistic regression analysis showed that for every extra year of exposure, the odds of getting silicosis increased by about 12%. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the catastrophic effects of exposures to silica in agate worker, which calls for urgent protective measures for this population.