Effects of an Educational Intervention Program on Marble Factory Workers

January 22, 2025 updated by: Riphah International University

Effects of an Educational Intervention Program on Lung Function and Ergonomic Hazards Among Marble Factory Workers: Quasi-experimental Study

Marble cutting exposes workers to dust, increasing risk of lung diseases like asthma, COPD, silicosis, and asbestosis. Many marble cutters in rural areas lack awareness of these risks and work without proper protection. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has over 4000 marble factories employing over a million laborers, mostly unskilled and vulnerable. Workers face health risks from heavy lifting, poor posture, and respirable dust. Ergonomic disorders are also common due to poorly designed workstations, repetitive motions, and straining postures. Musculoskeletal Symptoms (MSS) can progress into Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), affecting worker well-being and productivity. Findings can inform targeted educational programs and interventions to improve respiratory health and reduce ergonomic risks in the marble industry.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Occupational hazards, such as dust exposure during marble cutting, can significantly increase the risk of lung diseases in workers. This includes common ailments such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), as well as more serious conditions such as silicosis and asbestosis. Unfortunately, many marble cutters from rural areas may not be aware of these health risks, which can lead to them working without proper protection. Heavy load lifting, poor work posture, and the production of respirable dust in marble factories contribute to the health risks faced by these workers. Just like dust exposure during marble cutting can harm a worker's lungs, similarly, working in this industry carries a high risk of ergonomic disorders. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ergonomic risk factors are responsible for 35% of workplace injuries in 2021, resulting in MSDs. An extensive amount of research has been conducted globally; however, limited literature exists on this particular topic in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, specifically in Peshawar. The findings of the study can help inform the development and implementation of targeted educational programs and interventions aimed at improving respiratory health and reducing ergonomic risks in the marble industry.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

80

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • AL
      • Islamabad, AL, Pakistan, 44000
        • Marble factories in Peshawar

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult male marble factory workers,
  • Age 20-55years
  • Working for more than 1year
  • Working time(hours): minimum 06 hours daily

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Workers with pre-existing lung diseases
  • Workers with any other occupational hazard
  • Workers who are not willing to participate in the study

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Educational intervention program on machine workers
Use proper protective gears like mask, glasses, glove and proper foot wear. Maintain proper posture. Avoid repetitive movement.
Other: Educational Intervention Program for machine workers
A detailed Educational Intervention Program for marble factory workers working on Machines.
Experimental: Educational intervention program on manual workers
Use proper protective gears like mask, glasses, glove and proper foot wear. Maintain proper posture during heavy load lifting. Take breaks during prolong period of work.
Other: Educational Intervention Program for manual workers
A detailed Educational Intervention Program for marble factory workers working manually.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Forced vital capacity (FVC)
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Forced vital capacity (FVC) measured through digital spirometer. If the value of FVC is within 80% of the reference value, the results are considered normal.
4 weeks
Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR)
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) measured through digital spirometer. Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) measured through digital spirometer. Three zones of measurement are commonly used to interpret peak flow rates. Normal value of PEFR is (80-100%). Green zone indicates 80 to 100 percent of the usual or normal peak flow reading, yellow zone indicates 50 to 79 percent of the usual or normal peak flow readings, and red zone indicates less than 50 percent of the usual or normal peak flow readings.
4 weeks
Forced expiratory volume in 1sec (FEV1)
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Forced expiratory volume in 1sec (FEV1) measured through digital spirometer. If the value of FEV1 is within 80% of the reference value, the results are considered normal
4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA)
Time Frame: 4 Weeks
RULA evaluates the exposure to posture and force/external load as well as repeated and static posture effects.
4 Weeks
Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)
Time Frame: 4 Weeks
REBA evaluates the exposure to posture and force/external load as well as repeated and static posture effects. The REBA has two additional assessment factors of coupling and dynamic loading effects, compared to the RULA
4 Weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Riphah International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Suman Sheraz, PhD*, Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

July 15, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 30, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

December 10, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 24, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 24, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

June 28, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 22, 2025

Last Verified

January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Waseem Ullah

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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