Occupational harmful factors are known to be diverse and widespread (1), and employees may be exposed to these factors during work (2). Compared to the general population, occupational populations are exposed to higher levels of adverse factors (3). This suggests that the health status of occupational populations may be more vulnerable to occupational exposures. Mason et al. pointed out that occupational asthma could be induced by the inciting agents in the workplace, including sensitizers and irritants (4). In addition, occupational exposure to diisocyanate could trigger asthma, with males being at higher risk (5). Campisi et al. have pointed out that occupational exposure is closely associated with the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (6). Therefore, the health status of the occupational populations deserves focused attention.

Dust is one of the most common harmful factors in the working environment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ~125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos in the workplace (7). In Finland, the number of people exposed to asbestos in 2019 almost tripled compared to 2010 (8). One study showed that the number of deaths due to occupational asbestos in China was 24,264 in 2017, which represented a 318.7% increase compared to 1990 (9). It can be seen that dust exposure involves a large and increasing number of employees and may pose significant risks to their health, which has raised concerns among the public about the health of employees exposed to dust in enterprises.

It is widely recognized that the respiratory system is the first area to be affected after dust inhalation, causing respiratory diseases (10). Some scholars have pointed out that particulate matter can stimulate the respiratory tract or cause allergic reactions, thereby promoting the occurrence of asthma (11). A 20-year follow-up study has shown that long-term occupational exposure to dust can accelerate the decline of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁) and the ratio of FEV₁ to forced vital capacity (FVC), with the latter expressed as FEV₁/FVC (12). In addition, the advancement of science and technology has spurred the emergence of new industries, along with the generation of novel dust types, which could also damage the lung health of workers. For instance, Guarnieri et al. discovered that the production of new high-silica-content artificial stone, known as quartz conglomerates, could lead to the onset of silicosis (13). Similarly, workers exposed to artificial quartz conglomerates in the finishing sector exhibited a higher incidence of silicosis (14). Therefore, it is urgent to take effective measures to achieve early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of lung ventilation function damage in employees exposed to dust, thereby protecting the health of the occupational population.

Lung function parameters are considered important and reliable indicators for assessing normal and abnormal states of the airways (15). FVC, FEV₁, and FEV₁/FVC are the most common indicators in the studies on the influencing factors of lung function, which can better reflect lung ventilation function. FVC can reflect the expiratory resistance of large airways (16). FEV₁ is the main indicator of impaired lung function (17). FEV₁/FVC is commonly used to identify obstructive or restrictive damage (18). Regular lung ventilation function tests are beneficial for early detection of lung ventilation function abnormalities and prevention of lung-related diseases in employees exposed to dust, especially those in the industrial domain.

In recent years, with the continuous advancement of China's industrialization process, many small mines, factories, and heavy metal industries have emerged, resulting in a large number of employees being exposed to dust (19). As a hub of national energy and other resources, Xinjiang is highly dependent on resource development, and heavy industry occupies a dominant position in the industrial structure (20), which indicates that the lung ventilation function of the population in this area, especially employees exposed to dust, may be affected. In 2019, the Health Xinjiang Action for 2019–2030 was developed (21), and the Occupational Health Protection Action was one of the major thematic actions that aimed to protect the health status of occupational groups in Xinjiang.

Since the reform and opening up, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) industry has become an important force in Xinjiang's industry. Available data show that the Eighth Division ranks first in the XPCC in terms of the number of industrial enterprises above the scale and the number of employees (22). This suggests that the number of employees exposed to dust may be higher in the Eighth Division compared to other divisions and regiments in the XPCC, and their lung ventilation function is obviously worthy of attention. Therefore, this study aims to describe the lung ventilation function status of the employees exposed to dust in enterprises located in the Eighth Division of the XPCC in 2023 and to explore its influencing factors, thus providing a theoretical basis for the protection of lung ventilation function among employees exposed to dust in enterprises located in this region.

In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed the status and possible influencing factors of lung ventilation function among employees exposed to dust in enterprises located in the Eighth Division, XPCC, China. According to the fixed value criteria, the abnormal rates of FEV₁, FVC, and FEV₁/FVC were 31.6, 1.4, and 0.4%, respectively, which were lower than the rates of abnormal lung ventilation function indicators among textile mill workers in Myanmar, with abnormal rates of 34.3, 36.7, and 3.9% for FEV₁, FVC, and FEV₁/FVC, respectively (18). It can be seen that the XPCC attaches great importance to the health protection of the occupational population. Additionally, despite the fact that the adoption of the LLN criteria might overestimate the abnormal rates of lung ventilation function, the LLN criteria are more scientific and recommended for use in epidemiological studies (36) due to partly avoiding a high false negative rate in younger populations and over diagnosis in older populations associated with the fixed value criteria (37). Therefore, the LLN criteria were utilized in this study to assess the status of lung ventilation function and explore its influencing factors.

According to the findings of this study, gender, age, education level, marital status, BMI, smoking status, physical activity, the type of dust, industry, enterprise scale, occupation, length of service, working shift, monthly income, and respiratory protection were identified as influencing factors for lung ventilation function. Males, individuals with lower educational levels, unmarried, underweight, overweight, and obese individuals were more likely to experience lung ventilatory function abnormalities. In addition, heavy smokers had a higher risk of abnormal FEV₁/FVC than never-smokers. Moderate levels of physical activity were favorable for improving individuals' lung ventilation function. Silica dust and PVC dust were more likely to trigger lung ventilation dysfunction than coal dust. Employees working in mining and those employed in small and micro enterprises were at higher risk of lung ventilation dysfunction. Engaging in night or shift work could increase the risk of abnormal lung ventilation dysfunction. Mental laborers and physical laborers had a higher risk of developing abnormal lung ventilation function than mixed laborers. Employees aged >50, individuals with a monthly income of < 5,000 RMB, individuals with 5–10 years of service, and those with >10 years of service had a lower risk of abnormal lung ventilation function. In addition, wearing respiratory protection equipment was effective in reducing the risk of abnormal lung ventilation function. Notably, the direction of influence from factors such as gender on FEV₁/FVC was opposite to their influence on FEV₁ and FVC, which could be attributed to the possibility that FEV₁ and FVC were affected to varying degrees by these factors.

Exposure to dust can worsen lung function, which is a major contributing factor in this process (25). The type of dust is one of the most characteristic occupational features of employees, and different types of dust vary in their damaging effects on lung function. One study noted that silica dust caused more severe damage to the lungs compared to composite epoxy dust (38). In this study, both silica dust and PVC dust were found to increase the risk of abnormal FVC compared to coal dust. However, the opposite result occurred for FEV₁/FVC.

It is well-known that silica dust is an inorganic dust that is smaller, harder, and more irregular than organic dust, making it easier to enter the respiratory system and cause mechanical injury to the lungs. In addition, silica dust, which is rich in silicon dioxide, can damage lung macrophages, ultimately causing the development of lung fibrosis (39). It is worth noting that the higher number of surface area atoms per unit mass of PVC dust greatly increases the surface area available for chemical reactions with body fluids and tissues that come into contact with it (40). Hence, PVC dust may lower FVC, artificially raise the FEV₁/FVC ratio, and even lead to lung fibrosis or cancer (41). Compared to coal dust, other dusts, mainly some unidentified types of dust, reduced the abnormal rates of FEV₁ and FEV₁/FVC, which might be influenced by factors such as the concentration of the dust.

In general, different industries involve varying types and concentrations of dust, resulting in different levels of lung ventilation function among employees. We found that, compared to employees in mining, those in manufacturing and other industries were at a lower risk of impaired lung ventilation function, which could be attributed to higher concentrations of coal dust in mining. Therefore, close attention should be paid to lung ventilation function among individuals exposed to dust in mining.

Notably, we observed that wearing respiratory protective equipment during work was beneficial in impeding the decline in lung ventilation function, which was supported by other studies. For instance, firefighters who frequently wore respiratory protective devices were more likely to experience a normal rate of decline in lung function compared to their counterparts without respiratory protection (42). Due to this, it is necessary for employers to regularly remind individuals exposed to dust to wear protective masks appropriately.

In this study, individuals exposed to dust with lower educational levels had poorer lung ventilation function. This finding was supported by another study, which revealed that flour mill workers with primary education were more prone to experiencing chronic respiratory symptoms compared to those with secondary school education and above (43). One possible reason is that individuals with lower educational levels may have been assigned to jobs with dust exposure and may lack knowledge regarding the health hazards of dust and how to protect themselves from its effects. Therefore, it is crucial to popularize knowledge and skills for protecting lung ventilation function among employees exposed to dust.

Standard morphometric measures have confirmed that, compared to females with the same weight and height, males have larger lungs, a higher number of bronchi, greater alveolar surface area, and wider airway caliber (44). This suggests that males theoretically have better lung ventilation function than females. Some scholars pointed out that male individuals had higher FEV₁ and FVC than females (45). Despite this, there are differences in the rate of decline in lung ventilation function between male and female individuals.

One study noted gender-related differences in lung ventilation function, with higher annual decline rates in males than in females (46), which indicated that males were more prone to experiencing a decrease in their lung ventilation function below normal levels, exhibiting an anomalous state. Similarly, in the present study, the risk of abnormal FEV₁ and FVC was significantly higher in males than in females. Three possible explanations could explain this observation. Firstly, the more significant decline in respiratory muscle strength among males compared to females might be an important factor contributing to this phenomenon (44). Secondly, the decline in lung ventilation function might be positively proportional to lung size, which is related to the differences in airway caliber between males and females (47). Finally, taking a shower and changing work clothes after work were more common among females, which reduced further damage to their lung ventilation function.

Smoking is also known to induce oxidative stress and inflammatory states, leading to airway hyper responsiveness, subsequent airway stenosis, and increased airway resistance, ultimately resulting in weakened lung function (48, 49). A study revealed that active smokers exhibited significantly lower values for FEV₁, FVC, and FEV₁/FVC compared to never-smokers (50). Some scholars also indicated that ex-smokers and current smokers experienced an accelerated decline in lung function compared to never-smokers (51). In this study, compared to never-smokers, heavy smokers had a higher prevalence of abnormal FEV₁/FVC. Notably, early smoking cessation could slow down the declining trend of lung function in current smokers (52). According to the Healthy China 2030 strategy, the government has set a goal of reducing the adult smoking rate from 27.7 to 20% by 2030 (53), which will safeguard the lung function of individuals.

Some scholars revealed that appropriate physical activity could enhance immune function by increasing the number of natural killer cells and lymphocytes (54). Similarly, in this study, individuals engaging in moderate physical activity exhibited a significantly lower rate of abnormal lung ventilation function than those engaging in low physical activity. Therefore, it is advisable to emphasize the importance of ensuring daily physical exercise during non-working hours for employees exposed to dust.

Individuals can benefit from being in a healthy marital status. Specifically, for married individuals, their spouses can often remind them to maintain healthy behaviors and provide them with encouragement (55), and they also have dual incomes within their households, which contributes to their less life pressures and better mental health. Notably, there is a connection between mental health and lung ventilation function. Some scholars found that depression could lower FEV₁ (56) and FVC (57) in individuals by increasing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (58). The above mechanism could explain the observed decrease in FEV₁ and FVC among unmarried individuals compared to married individuals in the present study.

In many studies, an association between BMI and lung ventilation function can be generally observed. A study revealed that, compared to individuals with a normal weight, overweight and obese individuals were associated with decreased absolute values of FEV₁ and FVC (59). The present study demonstrated an increased risk of abnormal lung ventilation function among underweight, overweight, and obese individuals. As we all know, weight gain results in the diaphragm being pushed upward and fat accumulation, which will cause incomplete lung expansion during inhalation and restricted airflow (60, 61). In addition, adipose tissue can secrete various inflammatory factors (62), thereby narrowing airway diameter and impairing lung function (63). Notably, being underweight implies compromised nutritional status, which is associated with lung dysfunction (64). Therefore, it is advisable to maintain a normal weight, which is a controllable factor in preventing lung ventilation function impairment.

Night or rotating shifts have been found to impair both physical and mental health, including lung ventilation function. For instance, research has shown an increased risk of abnormal FEV₁ among individuals engaged in night or rotating shifts (65). The same phenomenon was observed in the present analysis. The possible reason is that individuals engaged in night or rotating shifts have fewer daytime physical activities and more common nocturnal eating behaviors (66).

Regarding the enterprise scale, research indicated that employees in small and micro enterprises had a higher prevalence of abnormal FEV₁, FVC, and FEV₁/FVC than those in medium enterprises (67). In this analysis, we observed a significant increase in the risk of FEV₁, FVC, and FEV₁/FVC abnormalities among employees in small or micro enterprises compared to large or medium enterprises, which indicated that large and medium enterprises paid more attention to occupational health.

In this analysis, mental and physical laborers were found to have worse lung ventilation function compared to mixed laborers. Evidently, physical laborers had higher levels of physical activity, higher respiratory rates, and were more prone to inhaling dust during work compared to mixed laborers, consequently impairing their lung ventilation function. Notably, sedentary behavior is more prevalent in mental laborers, primarily due to their office-based work, compared to mixed laborers, which can cause a decline in lung ventilation function by increasing the risk of obesity (68).

Regarding the length of service and age, some scholars found that both length of service (69) and age (44) were negatively related to lung ventilation function. However, the results of this study were markedly different, which could be explained by the healthy worker effect. It is possible that only individuals with better lung ventilation function will continue working in an environment with dust due to the presence of health examinations and safety standards. In addition, this phenomenon may be because the employers from these enterprises prefer to arrange for healthier young individuals to work night or rotating shifts, which reflects an aspect of humanized management by these enterprises.

In this present study, employees with a higher monthly income exhibited a higher prevalence of lung ventilation dysfunction. One possible reason is that individuals with financial pressures tend to choose occupations with a higher monthly income, which may cause them to work in environments with higher concentrations of dust, thereby causing their worse lung ventilation function.

Moderate alcohol intake could increase FEV₁ and FVC improve lung function (70) potentially by enhancing mucociliary clearance, stimulating bronchodilation, and even alleviating airway damage (59). In contrast, chronic alcohol exposure often leads to hepatopulmonary syndrome, which can cause respiratory impairment (71). In this study, univariate analysis revealed a statistically significant association between lung ventilation function and alcohol consumption, while multivariable analysis showed the opposite finding. One possible explanation is that there is a “spurious association” in the univariate analysis that can easily vanish by adjusting for the relevant confounding factors.

Occupational harmful factors can affect an individual's lung health and lead to the development of occupational diseases. Notably, some scholars have begun to pay attention to the prognosis of occupational diseases and their impact on the employment status of individuals. Mason et al. found that inhalation of diisocyanates could induce occupational asthma, which was found to be attenuated in some patients during follow-up, and being diagnosed at a younger age was a major predictor of a good prognosis (72). Similarly, one study found that workers with alleviated asthma were younger at the time of diagnosis, had a shorter duration of symptom exposure, better lung function, and lower bronchial hyper-responsiveness than individuals with persistent occupational asthma, and that occupational asthma led to a change in job position in 43.8% of individuals (73). Hence, for the working population, early detection of health impairments, prompt treatment, and necessary adjustments in jobs are essential for effectively managing the condition, improving prognosis, and enhancing their overall health status.

There are still some limitations to this study. Firstly, this study was a cross-sectional study, which cannot determine a causal relationship between lung ventilation function and relevant influencing factors. Secondly, self-administered questionnaire could lead to possible recall bias and decreased objectivity. Thirdly, the lung ventilation function measurement was only partial, lacking data on global spirometry and results from chest imaging techniques. This prevents further considerations on the type of respiratory abnormality found (e.g., obstructive vs. restrictive abnormality). In addition, healthy worker effect may underestimate the influence of certain factors on lung ventilation function. Finally, this study lacked data such as the concentration of dust, so we are unclear about their association with lung ventilation function. Further prospective studies are needed to overcome these limitations and identify more controllable factors affecting lung ventilation function of employees exposed to dust.

This study revealed a relatively low prevalence of abnormal lung ventilation function among employees exposed to dust in enterprises located in the Eighth Division, XPCC, China. Several potential factors associated with lung ventilation function abnormalities were identified, including gender, age, education level, marital status, BMI, smoking status, physical activity, the type of dust, industry, enterprise scale, occupation, length of service, working shift, monthly income, and respiratory protection. It can be seen that enhancing personal protection, reducing smoking, and maintaining a normal weight are beneficial for protecting the lung ventilation function of employees exposed to dust in this region.

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.

The studies involving humans were approved by the Science and Technology Ethical Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University (Ethical Review Number: KJX2022-104-01). The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

YZ: Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. SZ: Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. JL: Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. RD: Writing—original draft. QW: Writing—original draft. GS: Funding acquisition, Writing—review & editing. YH: Writing—review & editing.