{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T02:52:53Z","timestamp":1760151173863,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]],"date-time":"2022-03-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1646179200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: This study evaluated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in residents with persistent lower respiratory symptoms (PLRS) or asthma six years after exposure to sulphur dioxide vapours emanating from an ignited sulphur stockpile. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, using interview data collected at three time points (prior to, one- and six-years post incident), medical history, respiratory symptoms and HRQOL using the Medical Outcomes Study Form 36 (SF-36). Results: A total of 246 records, 74 with and 172 without PLRS or asthma, were analysed. The mean age was 42 (SD:12) years in the symptomatic group and 41 (SD:13) years in the asymptomatic group. Mean SF-36 scores were significantly lower for the symptomatic group in the Physical Functioning (24 vs. 39), Role\u2014Physical (33 vs. 48) and General Health (GH) domains (24 vs. 37). Symptomatic residents experienced a significant decline in their Role\u2014Physical (OR = 1.97; CI 1.09, 3.55) and GH (OR = 3.50; CI 1.39, 8.79) at year 6 compared to asymptomatic participants. Residents with co-morbid reactive upper airways dysfunction syndrome demonstrated stronger associations for GH (OR = 7.04; CI 1.61, 30.7) at year 1 and at year 6 (OR = 8.58; CI 1.10, 65.02). Conclusions: This study highlights the long-term adverse impact on HRQoL among residents with PLRS or asthma following a sulphur stockpile fire disaster.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19052915","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]],"date-time":"2022-03-02T08:37:16Z","timestamp":1646210236000},"page":"2915","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of Residents with Persistent Lower Respiratory Symptoms or Asthma Following a Sulphur Stockpile Fire Incident"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3630-1855","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shahieda","family":"Adams","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Occupational Medicine Division and Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory 7925, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mayuri","family":"Rajani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Occupational Medicine Division and Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory 7925, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3772-071X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roslynn","family":"Baatjies","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Occupational Medicine Division and Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory 7925, South Africa"},{"name":"Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Cape Town 7535, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Faieza","family":"Omar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Occupational Medicine Division and Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory 7925, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6656-9193","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohamed Fareed","family":"Jeebhay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Occupational Medicine Division and Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory 7925, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Baatjies, R., Adams, S., Cairncross, E., Omar, F., and Jeebhay, M.F. 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