Respiratory Health Symptoms and Lung Function among Road-side Hawkers in Serdang and Its Association with Traffic-Related Exposures

The main objective of this study was to determine the respiratory health symptoms and lung function among roadside hawkers in Serdang, Malaysia and its association with traffic-related exposures.
This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 60 roadside hawkers while 60 restaurant workers were included as the comparative group in 2015. A questionnaire was used to collect background information and symptoms of respiratory health. All participants performed lung function tests. Personal exposure to traffic-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO) were performed among a representative group of workers. All statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.
The mean (standard deviation) PM2.5 exposure among the roadside hawkers was 31.05 (1.62) μg/m3 while the exposure among the comparative group was 19.41 (1.51) μg/m3 (P Roadside hawkers are exposed to high traffic-related pollutants, had reduced lung function, and are at risk for increased respiratory health symptoms. The study suggested the importance of preventive management for this specific group of workers.