PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Nada Rahmouni
AU  - Ines Zendah
AU  - Ibtihel Khouaja
AU  - Leila Bayahi
AU  - Amel Khattab
AU  - Habib Ghedira
TI  - COPD and exposure to smoke biomass in non-smokers women in a semi-rural region of Tunisia
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p4205
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4205.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4205.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Many studies have suggested that biomass smoke is a risk factor for COPD and this study is conducted to compare, in non-smokers housewives, the prevalence of COPD symptoms and airway obstruction as related to biomass exposure.Methods: From April to October 2010, 243 women over 30 years-old were randomly selected from a municipal list of the semi-rural city of Kasserine in Tunisia. Among the 140 non smokers women who consent to be explored, 81 (58%) are exposed to smoke biomass from traditional wood cooking (n=47) or traditional coal house heating (n=20) or both (n=14). An auto-questionnaire was administered and FEV1 and FEV6 were measured using an expiratory flow meter (PiKo-6).Results: Age of exposed and non exposed housewives did not differ (48±12 yrs-old vs 48±12 yrs-old; p=1) but exposed women have lower education level (p<0.05) with higher jobless rate (73% vs 32%; p<0.05). Respiratory COPD-related symptoms were more frequent in exposed women either Cough (81% vs 19%;p<0.01) or Dyspnea (76% vs 24%;p<0.01). An FEV1/FEV6 of less than70%, considered as diagnostic of an obstructive disease, was more prevalent in exposed group (23.53% vs 4.16%; p<0.001).Conclusion: COPD-related symptoms and airway obstruction are significantly more prevalent in non smokers women, from semi rural area in Tunisia, exposed to biomass smoke from traditional wood cooking or traditional coal house heating.