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Seidu RK, Ofori EA, Eghan B, Fobiri GK, Afriyie AO, Acquaye R. A systematic review of work-related health problems of factory workers in the textile and fashion industry. J Occup Health 2024; 66:uiae007. [PMID: 38289711 PMCID: PMC10964409 DOI: 10.1093/joccuh/uiae007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to present a systematic review of the health-related problems of factory workers in the textile and fashion industry. These workers endure long sitting postures, poor workspace conditions, and long working hours to complete their overload of tasks. This situation results in several health problems that affect the productivity, mental health, and well-being of the workers. METHODS The relevant data (21 article publications) were obtained from the Scopus database. Analysis of the 21 articles was grouped under 3 research themes based on the critical reading of the content and abstracts: respiratory problems, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological stressors and other health issues. RESULTS The findings show that factory workers are exposed to dust particles of cotton and other raw materials, fumes, and chemicals from manufacturing processes. This prolonged exposure without the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) leads to respiratory diseases like byssinosis that affect the workers' health. Additionally, working in a particular posture due to the workstation design for prolonged hours causes musculoskeletal disorders or pains. Workers also suffer from anxiety, depression, and stress from workload and pressure, hence making them unstable with reduced productivity. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the study reinforce the need for a safe workspace and spacious work environment, provision of PPE, training in occupational hazards, frequent health checks, and ergonomic assessment of workstations to reduce prolonged work postures. Stakeholders, employers, policymakers, and governments should collaborate to safeguard and protect the well-being and health of the workers at these factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Kanyire Seidu
- School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Emmanuel Abankwah Ofori
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Hubei University of Automotive Technology, Shiyan, 442002, Hubei, China
| | - Benjamin Eghan
- Department of Industrial Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, AOK447, Ghana
| | - George Kwame Fobiri
- Department of Fashion Design and Textiles Studies, Kumasi Technical University, Kumasi, AK040, Ghana
| | - Alex Osei Afriyie
- Department of Industrial Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, AOK447, Ghana
| | - Richard Acquaye
- Department of Textile Design and Technology, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, WK200, Ghana
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Kabir H, Bhullar N, Islam MS, Usher K, Haque ME, Maple M. Prevalence and risk factors of physical and psychological health among readymade garment workers in Bangladesh. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND ERGONOMICS 2023; 29:1572-1583. [PMID: 37715515 DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2023.2260168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Objective. Poor health outcomes of Bangladeshi readymade garment (RMG) workers tend to be associated with a variety of occupational factors. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with, the physical and psychological health outcomes of Bangladeshi RMG workers. Methods. Responses to a cross-sectional survey from a convenience sample of 411 adult Bangladeshi RMG workers (mean age = 26.24 years; SD 6.40 years; female = 80%) were analysed using bivariate and multivariate (logistic regression models) analyses. Results. More than half of the participants reported headaches (61.6%) and colds/flu (51.3%), followed by fever (37.2%), diarrhoea (32.8%), bodily pain (29.9%) and respiratory infections (20.9%). For psychological health, stress (69.1%), anxiety (66.2%) and boredom (64.5%) were most prevalent, followed by sleeplessness (51.3%), depression (48.2%) and fear (34.3%). RMG workers from the factories located in Chattogram (a peripheral region compared to Dhaka) reported poorer physical and psychological health outcomes than those working in factories in Dhaka (the capital city of Bangladesh). Overall, compared to males, female RMG workers were more likely to be vulnerable to both physical and psychological health outcomes. Conclusion. Improvement in workplace conditions and safety programmes is needed to safeguard the overall health outcomes of Bangladeshi RMG workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humayun Kabir
- School of Health, University of New England, Australia
- Department of Sociology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Navjot Bhullar
- School Psychology, University of New England, Australia
- Discipline of Psychology, Edith Cowan University, Australia
| | | | - Kim Usher
- School of Health, University of New England, Australia
| | | | - Myfanwy Maple
- School of Health, University of New England, Australia
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Hasan ABMN, Sharif AB, Jahan I. Perceived barriers to maintain physical activity and its association to mental health status of Bangladeshi adults: a quantile regression approach. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8993. [PMID: 37268704 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36299-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Insufficient physical activity and unhealthy lifestyle preferences have been significant concerns for decades. This study aimed to determine the perceived barriers to maintaining physical activity among adults in three major cities of Bangladesh and their association with mental health status. This is a cross-sectional study where 400 participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Twenty municipal wards were randomly selected from three cities, followed by a convenient selection of the study participants from each ward. Questionnaires about perceived physical activity barriers were developed based on previously published literature. The DASS-21 scale assessed the mental health status of the study participants. Descriptive statistics were applied to narrate the baseline characteristics of the respondents. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to check the normality of the perceived physical activity scores. Quantile regression analysis was applied to model the physical activity barrier scores depending on several covariates. Five quantiles were used: the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant for hypothesis testing. Among the respondents, 68.50% were male, half of them were married, 68.0% belonged to nuclear families, 48.0% completed graduate level education, 34.25% were service holders, one-third of the respondent's working hours were 6-8 h, and 19.50% belongs to the overweight and obese groups. Poor traffic and construction work near the road (60.30%) was seen as the most significant barrier to physical activity. Over half of the respondents stated that lack of time, facilities, and expenses hinder physical activity. Mental health status reported mild to extremely severe levels of depression (32%), anxiety (47%), and stress (42.50%), respectively. Significant associations between the perceived physical activity scores and gender, family type, occupation, income, BMI, anxiety, and depression were obtained. Ensuring a safe environment, facilitating accessibility and availability of low-cost exercise facilities, improving road and traffic conditions, and providing appropriate mental health counseling may help to mitigate physical activity barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- A B M Nahid Hasan
- Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Azaz Bin Sharif
- Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Global Health Institute, North South University (NGHI), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
| | - Ishrat Jahan
- Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Bach AJ, Palutikof JP, Tonmoy FN, Smallcombe JW, Rutherford S, Joarder AR, Hossain M, Jay O. Retrofitting passive cooling strategies to combat heat stress in the face of climate change: A case study of a ready-made garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. ENERGY AND BUILDINGS 2023; 286:112954. [PMID: 37601430 PMCID: PMC7614966 DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.112954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
The ready-made garment industry is critical to the Bangladesh economy. There is an urgent need to improve current working conditions and build capacity for heat mitigation as conditions worsen due to climate change. We modelled a typical, mid-sized, non-air-conditioned factory in Bangladesh and simulated how the indoor thermal environment is altered by four rooftop retrofits (1. extensive green roof, 2. rooftop shading, 3. white cool roof, 4. insulated white cool roof) on present-day and future decades under different climate scenarios. Simulations showed that all strategies reduce indoor air temperatures by around 2 °C on average and reduce the number of present-day annual work-hours during which wetbulb globe temperature exceeds the standardised limits for moderate work rates by up to 603 h - the equivalent of 75 (8 h) working days per year. By 2050 under a high-emissions scenario, indoor conditions with a rooftop intervention are comparable to present-day conditions. To reduce the growing need for carbon-intensive air-conditioning, sustainable heat mitigation strategies need to be incorporated into a wider range of solutions at the individual, building, and urban level. The results presented here have implications for factory planning and retrofit design, and may inform policies targeting worker health, well-being, and productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J.E. Bach
- National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Jean P. Palutikof
- National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Fahim N. Tonmoy
- National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- BMT Group, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - James W. Smallcombe
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shannon Rutherford
- Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Ashikur R. Joarder
- Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Monir Hossain
- Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ollie Jay
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Dreher A, Yusuf R, Ashraf H, Ahmed SAKS, Strümpell C, Loerbroks A. Work-family conflict, financial issues and their association with self-reported health complaints among ready-made garment workers in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2022; 96:483-496. [PMID: 36480083 PMCID: PMC9734729 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-022-01942-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to quantify the degree of work-family conflict (WFC) and financial issues among ready-made garment (RMG) workers in Bangladesh and to investigate their potential associations with self-reported health outcomes. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 1118 RMG workers in labor colonies in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in February and March 2021. Descriptive analyses were performed to characterize WFC (i.e., family life disturbing the job or facing problems in family due to the job) and financial issues (i.e., savings, debt, financial obligations, financial support). We ran multivariable Poisson regression models to examine possible associations between WFC and financial issues and workers' health (self-reported general health and 10 specific health complaints). RESULTS We found low levels of WFC, low levels of savings, moderate levels of debt, and high levels of financial obligations: virtually all workers agreed they had to keep their job to financially support their spouse, children or other relatives. Only about a third of workers expected they would be able to receive financial support in case of a job loss. Work-family conflict was positively associated with poor health but not consistently with specific symptoms. Financial support was negatively associated, whereas being indebted was weakly positively associated with poor health. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest low levels of WFC among RMG workers but high levels of financial obligations. Work-family conflict was positively associated with poor health, but not consistently with specific symptoms. Being indebted was weakly positively associated with poor health. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annegret Dreher
- Institute of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Rita Yusuf
- International Center for Biotechnology and Health (ICBH), Center for Health Population and Development (CHPD), Independent University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Hasan Ashraf
- Department of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Syed A K Shifat Ahmed
- International Center for Biotechnology and Health (ICBH), Center for Health Population and Development (CHPD), Independent University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Christian Strümpell
- Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Adrian Loerbroks
- Institute of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Dreher A, Yusuf R, Ashraf H, Ahmed SAKS, Strümpell C, Loerbroks A. Social stressors and social resources at work and their association with self-reported health complaints among ready-made garment workers in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1793. [PMID: 36131265 PMCID: PMC9492303 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14173-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bangladesh is one of the world's largest garment exporters. Physical working conditions of garment workers are precarious and known to largely affect their health. Research on garment workers' psychosocial working conditions, however, is scarce. We aimed to quantify psychosocial working conditions of garment workers and possible associations with workers' health. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 1,118 ready-made garment (RMG) workers in labor colonies in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in February 2021. Descriptive analyses were performed to characterize social stressors (e.g., being bullied at work, poor leadership) and social resources at work (e.g., receiving support at work, vertical trust between management and employees, beneficial leadership) and workers' health (self-reported overall health and 10 specific health complaints). To examine links of social stressors and social resources with self-reported health outcomes we ran multivariable Poisson regression models yielding prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS We found low to moderate levels of workplace bullying and high levels of poor leadership (i.e., supervisors not caring about workers' problems). We also found high levels of social support, vertical trust and beneficial leadership (i.e., supervisors taking decisions free of bias). Garment workers frequently suffered from health complaints, first and foremost headache (68.3%), cold (55.3%), and back pain (50.7%). Health outcomes were poorer among workers who reported to be bullied at work versus not bullied (e.g., PR 1.55 [95% CI 1.32-1.92] for poor self-reported health when bullied by colleagues) and health was better among those reporting to feel supported versus unsupported (e.g., PR 0.61 [0.52-0.71] for poor self-reported health when supported by supervisor). Perceived vertical trust between workers and management was weakly associated with better health. Leadership behavior did not display a consistent pattern. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that working conditions of RMG workers are rather good (e.g., characterized by low levels of bullying and high levels of support, vertical trust and beneficial leadership). The majority of workers reported good or very good health, although health complaints were frequently mentioned, first and foremost headache, cold, and back pain. Associations between psychosocial working conditions and health indicate worse working conditions being associated with poorer health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annegret Dreher
- Institute of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Rita Yusuf
- International Center for Biotechnology and Health (ICBH), Center for Health Population and Development (CHPD), Independent University, Plot #16, Block B, Aftabuddin Ahmed Road, Bashundhara R/A, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh
| | - Hasan Ashraf
- Department of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh
| | - Syed A K Shifat Ahmed
- International Center for Biotechnology and Health (ICBH), Center for Health Population and Development (CHPD), Independent University, Plot #16, Block B, Aftabuddin Ahmed Road, Bashundhara R/A, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh
| | - Christian Strümpell
- Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Hamburg, Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1, West, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Adrian Loerbroks
- Institute of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Zele YT, Kumie A, Deressa W, Bråtveit M, Moen BE. Registered health problems and demographic profile of integrated textile factory workers in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1526. [PMID: 34372825 PMCID: PMC8351335 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11556-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Textile and garment factories are growing in low and middle-income countries as worldwide demand for inexpensive clothing increases each year. These integrated textile and garment production factories are often built-in areas with few workplaces and environmental regulations, and employees can be regularly exposed to workplace hazards with little regulatory oversight. Consequently, workers' health may be significantly affected due to long term exposure to hazards. This study describes registered health problems and their association to work-related and personal factors among workers in integrated textile factories in Ethiopia. METHODS Institution-based cross-sectional study design was employed for this analysis. A one-year recording of worker's clinical diagnoses (between March 2016 and February 2017) was gathered from the factory clinics of three integrated textile factories. Clinical diagnosis data was obtained as factory workers visited the clinics if feeling unwell. Sociodemographic characteristics and work-related information were obtained from the factory's human resource departments. The sociodemographic and clinical diagnosis statuses of 7992 workers were analyzed. The association between the registered diagnoses and workplace factors (work in textile production, garment production and support process) and personal factors (age, sex and educational status) were studied using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS The average employee age and years of service were 40 years and 11 years respectively. 60% of workers were females, comprising of 4778 women. 66% of all workers (5276) had 27,320 clinical diagnoses. In total, this caused 16,993 absent working days due to sick leave. Respiratory diseases (34%) and musculoskeletal disorders (29%) were the most prevalent diagnoses, while bodily injuries were the cause of most work absences. Work department, sex and educational status are variables that were most significantly associated with higher prevalence of disease groups. CONCLUSIONS About two-thirds of the integrated textile factory workers were diagnosed with different types of disease. The textile and garment production department workers were affected at a greater rate than the support process workers, indicating that some diseases may be related to workplace exposure. Further study should investigate rare chronic diseases such as cancer, heart diseases, renal diseases and diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifokire Tefera Zele
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P O Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for International Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 21, 5009, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Abera Kumie
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P O Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Wakgari Deressa
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P O Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Magne Bråtveit
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Bente E Moen
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for International Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 21, 5009, Bergen, Norway
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Fast Fashion Avoidance Beliefs and Anti-Consumption Behaviors: The Cases of Korea and Spain. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12176907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The ethics of the fast fashion industry have been called into question with the emergence of new consumption paradigms, such as anti-consumerism and sustainable consumption. This study aims to explore the conceptual structure of fast fashion avoidance beliefs that have led to the anti-consumption of fast fashion. Data were collected from female consumers aged between 20 and 39 years with experiences of purchasing fast fashion brands in Korea and Spain. The structure of avoidance beliefs was compared through second-order factor analysis, and the data were analyzed using multiple regression. The structure of avoidance beliefs showed satisfactory validity and reliability in Korea, whereas deindividuation and foreignness were not included as negative beliefs in Spain. An analysis of the association between negative beliefs and anti-consumption showed that deindividuation and foreignness had positive effects on the anti-consumption of fast fashion in Korea. In Spain, poor performance and irresponsibility had positive effects, while overly trendy style had a negative effect on the anti-consumption of fast fashion. These findings contribute to the literature on anti-fast fashion consumption as part of the ethical apparel consumption movements. We can understand global consumers’ anti-consumption of fast fashion, diagnose the current status of fast fashion in the global market, and even suggest future directions for fast fashion retailers.
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