Evaluation of Respiratory Symptoms and Respiratory Protection Behavior Among Poultry Workers in Small Farming Operations

Agricultural workers who work in enclosed poultry operations are at increased risk of respiratory exposure to atmospheric contaminants, including dusts, endotoxins, particulate from feathers, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide from animal excrement. Given the relatively large number of small, family-run poultry farms in North Carolina, there has been relatively little research in the area documenting human lung function and perception of using respiratory protection among poultry workers. This study assesses respiratory health, knowledge, and perception of wearing respiratory protection among a sample of poultry workers attending a regional farm show in North Carolina. Lung function (spirometry), airway inflammation (exhaled nitric oxide), self-reported respiratory symptoms, and behavior of wearing respiratory protection were evaluated. Overall, mean lung function values were slightly lower than normal predicted values. The majority of participants ranked using respiratory protection as very important (51.9%); however, actual self-reported behavior was low (16.7%). In bivariate analysis, associations between the importance of wearing respiratory protection and the number of poultry houses (P = .04), as well as using a respirator and the number of poultry houses (P = .01) were statistically significant. Improved educational opportunities, including fit-testing and proper respiratory selection, should be emphasized for workers at small, poultry farm operations.