Respiratory Symptoms among Commercial Food Vendors Exposed to Biofuels Smoke in Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria

Background: Biomass fuel combustion, a common practice among commercial food vendors in Nigeria, generates harmful air pollutants that may increase respiratory symptoms. This study assesses the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among food vendors exposed to biomass fuels in Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria, compared to unexposed controls. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study with a comparative design was conducted among 195 food vendors using biomass fuels and 195 age-, sex-, and height-matched controls in Maiduguri. Respiratory symptoms were assessed using the Modified Medical Research Council (MRC) Questionnaire. Data were collected and symptom prevalence was compared using chi-square tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Vendors exhibited significantly higher prevalence of dyspnea (54.4% vs. 14.9%, p < 0.001), cough (18.5% vs. 9.7%, p = 0.013), and phlegm (13.8% vs. 6.2%, p = 0.011) compared to controls. Other symptoms, including wheeze (5.1% vs. 3.1%, p = 0.305), nasal congestion (8.7% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.458), runny nose (11.8% vs. 8.2%, p = 0.234), itchy nose (5.1% vs. 4.6%, p = 0.354), and sneezing (7.7% vs. 4.1%, p = 0.192), were more frequent among vendors but not statistically significant. Conclusion: Food vendors exposed to biomass fuels in Maiduguri experience a significantly higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms, particularly dyspnea, cough, and phlegm, compared to controls.