Dataset on Respiratory Symptoms, Smoking Habits and Use of Personal Protective Equipment among Informal Waste Pickers in Colombia

This dataset contains anonymized data collected from 179 informal waste pickers in Colombia and includes sociodemographic variables, smoking habits, use of personal protective equipment, and self-reported respiratory symptoms assessed using the ATS-DLD-78-A1 questionnaire. The data were collected as part of a cross-sectional study aimed at evaluating the association between exposure to biological occupational risks and respiratory health outcomes in a vulnerable working population. Variables include age, sex, education level, social security status, smoking status, use of gloves, masks and safety goggles, and the presence of respiratory symptoms such as cough, phlegm, wheezing, dyspnea, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and rhinitis. This dataset constitutes the empirical basis of the following publications: – Rozo Silva et al. (2025). A Cross-Sectional Study to Evaluate Respiratory Symptoms Associated With Exposure to Biological Risks in Informal Waste Pickers in Colombia. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003311 – Rozo Silva et al. (2025). Multimodal Analysis of Factors Associated with Respiratory Symptoms in Colombian Informal Waste Pickers.10.1177/15404153251342734