Comparison of respiratory complaints and impaired spirometric pattern between professional hairdresser women and housewives of Bandar Abbas city, southern Iran

Hairdressers due to harmful work exposures such as dyes, aerosols of sprays, and persulfate salts may suffer from airway irritation, occupational rhinitis, nose hypersensitivity to environmental pollutant, asthma, and disability after long terms of exposure. Considering the lack of information about respiratory compliance in warm and humid area, this study was designed.
A cross sectional study was designed to evaluate hairdressers and housewives in Bandar-abbas in warm seasons in 1392. A total of 200 hairdresser and 200 housewives were selected by random sampling. Respiratory questionnaires (reliability and validity of Persian version was confirmed by author) were filled by participants and Pulmunary Function Tests were performed using Spirolab 3 instrument. Data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 16.0 software and T-test, chi square, ANOVA & regression tests were used.
58.3% of general workers and 22.4% of bleaching workers in beauty shops suffered from respiratory symptoms. There was a significant and negative relationship between age and respiratory volumes. The effect of age on FEF25-75% was reverse, linear and statistically significant. Respiratory volume of epilation workers were the highest.
General hairdressers and bleaching workers had the most respiratory symptoms. Despite housewives, spirometry graph curvature was significant in hairdressers. For housewives respiratory symptoms were not related to job experience and their spirometric parameters were independent of age and work experience.