Assessment of VO2 Max among Female Workers of Cotton Textile Industry at Visnagar, North Gujarat Region: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Occupational lung illness is a significant problem among textile factory workers. Occupational cotton dust exposure has been linked to lung involvement in many epidemiological studies of cotton industry workers. The maximum oxygen intake is one of the measures used to estimate functional capacity (VO2 max) of cardiopulmonary efficiency. The integration of the ventilatory, cardiovascular and neuromuscular system is necessary for attainment of VO2 max. Aim: To assess the VO2 max among women employees in cotton textile industry and to study the correlation between VO2 max and anthropometric parameters like Body Mass Index (BMI), Body Surface Area (BSA), fat percent (fat %) and Lean Body Mass (LBM). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to June 2021 at Nootan Medical College and Research Centre/Nootan General Hospital, Visnagar, Dt. Mehsana, North Gujarat, India, which included study and control group which comprised 50 female workers of cotton industry and 50 age matched females, respectively (n=50 each) who had never worked in the cotton industry or been exposed to cotton dust. The labourers of cotton industry were chosen from the Mehsana district’s numerous cotton factories. Physical examinations (resting heart rate, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure) and a standardised proforma were used to gather data. VO2 max and anthropometric measurements such as BMI, BSA, fat % and LBM were measured by standard procedure. The statistical analysis was done by using Student’s t-test and Pearson correlation test. The correlation between BMI, BSA, fat percent and LBM with maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) was assessed by using Karl-Pearson’s correlation with level of significance was considered statistically significant if p<0.05. Results: The mean value of VO2 max in study and control group was 35.62±0.34 mL/kg/min and 36.80±0.58 mL/kg/min, respectively. It was decreased significantly (p