ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS, LIFE STYLE AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARDS OF DAL MILL WORKERS IN KALABURAGI DISTRICT OF KARNATAKA STATE
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Date
2022-02-18
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University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to analyze the nutritional status, life style and occupational health hazards faced by dal mill workers. Three hundred dal mill workers were selected from different mills in Kalaburagi District. Assessment of health and
nutritional status, dietary intake, nutritional adequacy, occupation health hazards, pulmonary health parameters and use of protective measures in dal mills were assessed. A subsample of 30 mill workers were selected for intervention programme. During
intervention programme necessary inputs were provided and awareness was created regarding nutrition, health and protection from hazards in milling area. Results revealed that, nearly half of the mill workers (46.33 %) were belonged to the age group 25-35 years. Majority of the mill workers belonged to the upper lower class (77.3 %) and 80.33 per cent workers were vegetarians. Among mill workers 82.67 per cent had normal body mass index of (22.6 kg/m2) and it was noteworthy that most of the respondents were having normal nutritional status. A nutrition education training programme was conducted to create awareness about nutrition, health and use of PPEs to reduce occupational health hazards for a subsample of 30 workers. Before nutrition education most of them had coughing and sneezing (63.33 %), breathlessness (46.67 %), watery nose (60.0 %) due to dust exposure. Post intervention results showed that the problems were reduced by use of PPEs with respect to coughing and sneezing, breathlessness, and watery nose. The intervention programme has brought a positive change in the knowledge regarding consumption of protective foods and use of safety measures in working area. This positive trend indicates that the training has created the awareness among mill workers as well as owners and also importance of protective measures in the mill premises.