Abstract
Background: In South Africa, mining contributes significantly to the economy. However, disposal of mine waste generates mine dust, leading to increased rates of air pollution, triggering health risks due to exposure of communities living in close proximity to the mine dumps. The purpose of this study was to assess the burden of an under-researched condition, Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS) disease symptoms, in communities that are near mine dumps. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on two communities; namely, Riverlea and Orlando East, both located to the South West of Johannesburg. Riverlea is located near Mooifontein mine dump (<2 Km) and therefore exposed to mine dust while Orlando East is unexposed to the mine dust (> 5Km). The study sample size was 206 adult particpants (> 18 years). The data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The data management and analyses were performed using SPSS Version 26 software. Bivariate tests were performed using Chi-square tests while the logistic regression was used to assess the association between community proximity to mine dumps and the development of CRS allergic disease symptoms. The findings from the analyses were compared between the two communities. Results were reported as odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding confidence intervals (CI)...
M.A. (Public Health)