Geospatial Mapping the Prevalence of Interstitial Lung Diseases Identified in Tertiary Care Facility and Determining the Role of Occupation in the Occurrence: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILD) is a class of lung diseases involving diffuse parenchyma affecting alveolar, interstitial, and small airways which worsen quality of life and cause early mortality. It is important to comprehend how various occupations affect interstitial lung diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of ILD and the relationship between ILD and occupation. Methods and Materials: In June 2022, a retrospective analysis was carried out in a tertiary care facility. Using purposive sampling, 252 participants were chosen from the medical records. Occupation along with the duration, area of residence, and associated illness was evaluated using a questionnaire. The latitude and longitude of the areas were mapped using Q-GIS mapping and plotted on the map. Results: Among the 252 study participants, the majority of them (71%) were non-industrial workers and 29% were industrial workers. ILD affected 40% of the research patients. It was discovered that there were 86 cases of interstitial lung disease (84.3%) among industrial workers compared to 16 cases (15.7%) among non-industrial workers. This difference was statistically significant (p-value <0.05). In the Q-GIS Mapping, Clustering was found in Mysuru district, extension to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. Conclusion: According to the Geospatial mapping of RespiratoryDisease cases from the past 5 years, the majority distribution is in and around Mysuru. There was a relationship between occupation and ILD was found in this study. Hence, further preventive measures are to be taken to prevent ILD in certain occupations.