Abstract
There are millions of working children worldwide. In gem polishing industry, exposure to occupational hazards of dust and chemicals used in polishing of gemstone may result in respiratory symptoms and respiratory disorders. The present study included 586 exposed and 569 comparison group subjects. Data was collected through personal interview, clinical examination, and chest radiography. The respiratory morbidity was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs and symptoms and chest radiography. The study variables included age, sex, daily working hours, and duration of exposure. The mean age of the child laborers was 11.31 ± 5.34 years. Prevalence of respiratory morbidity was significantly high in the female child laborers. The other study variables namely age, duration of exposure, and daily working hours were found to be statistically non-significant. The prevalence of respiratory morbidity among child laborers of gem polishing industry in Jaipur was found to be 7%.
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