Goldsmiths’ life expectancy much lower than average
The average life expectancy of goldsmiths in Bangladesh is 59, in stark contrast with the national life expectancy of 72.3 years, according to a study by the Department of Public Health and Informatics (DPHI) at BSMMU.
Some 45 per cent of them suffer from cardiovascular diseases and 20 per cent suffer from cancer, said the study, titled "Cause of Death in Goldsmith Workers of Bangladesh: Findings from Verbal Autopsy".
The study findings were unveiled yesterday during a workshop at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
Md Khalequzzaman, associate professor of DPHI, along with Mohammad Tanvir Islam of the internal medicine department of BSMMU conducted the study.
Twenty deceased goldsmiths selected as the sample of this research were residents of Mohammadpur, Hazaribagh, Lalbagh and Tanti Bazar areas of Dhaka, Shivalaya upazila of Manikganj and Nagarpur upazila of Tangail.
About 3 lakh people are working as goldsmiths, said the study.
Of the 20, 55 per cent died of cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease and stroke, the study showed.
The study also found that three out of four (75 per cent) of the sample suffered from two or more non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Some 65 per cent had hypertension, 50 per cent had diabetes, 35 per cent had heart diseases, and 20 per cent had kidney diseases.
It further revealed that 70 per cent of the deceased goldsmiths were regular smokers, and 20 per cent of them consumed smokeless tobacco. Half of them were regular alcohol users.
The researchers recommended awareness programmes regarding risk behaviours and screening programmes ar regular intervals to ensure the early detection of NCDs among goldsmiths.
Addressing the programme as chief guest, Vice-Chancellor of BSMMU Prof Kanak Kanti Barua urged researchers to conduct the study with a larger sample.
Prof Syed Shariful Islam, chairman of DPHI, said the research is very short as they had no prior knowledge about goldsmiths.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor of BSMMU Prof Md Shahidullah Sikder, Prof Muhammad Rafiqul Alam and emeritus scientist of icddr,b, Md Yunus were present as special guests at the event.
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