Prevalence of self-reported work-related illness and injuries among building construction workers, Shiraz, Iran

Assessing Health Seeking Behaviors and Economic Consequences of Morbidity in Indian Construction Workers: A Multicenter Study

Background

Construction laborers succumb to poor health due to the inherent workplace health hazards and poor socio-economic living conditions. With rising healthcare expenses, the increased risk of poor health may aggravate their economic status, pushing them deeper into poverty.

Settings and Design

The current cross-sectional multicenter study comprehensively investigated the determinants of health, health-seeking behavior, and poor economic impact regarding catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) among construction laborers.

Methods and Material

We collected details on illnesses among self and family members of the construction laborers that required healthcare visits during the previous year and their approximate expenses. Among the 1110 participants with complete data, 37% reported illness requiring a healthcare visit either for self or a family member.

Results

Regression models to ascertain demographic and living condition determinants of perceived illness revealed an increased risk of illness when the kitchen is shared with the living space (OR = 1.87) and use unhygienic smoky cooking fuels (OR = 1.87). More than 25% of those who reported illness incurred CHE.

Conclusion

We conclude that the frequency of perceived illness and the economic impact, i.e., CHE is relatively higher among the construction laborers. Our results demonstrate that poor living conditions add to the burden of morbidity in construction workers and families. Providing healthcare coverage for this population and engaging and educating them about affordable healthcare are necessary future steps to prevent the worsening of the economic situation.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Symptoms among Construction Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study in South China

Statistics showed that work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are the leading cause of productivity loss in the construction industry. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of WMSDs and associated factors among construction workers. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 380 construction workers in Guangdong Province, China. A demographic, work-related survey and the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire were used to collect the workers' data. Descriptive statists and logistic regression were used for the data analysis. The results showed that the overall prevalence of WMSDs symptoms among the participants in any body region during the last 12 months was 57.9%. Neck (24.7%), shoulder (22.1%), upper back (13.4%), and lower back (12.6%) showed the highest prevalence of WMSDs. Age, exercise, work experience, work position, and level of fatigue after work were significantly associated with the prevalence of WMSDs symptoms in different body regions. The findings of this study showed that the prevalence of WMSDs symptoms among construction workers in south China is still high and is associated with different body areas compared to previous studies. The prevalence of WMSDs and risk-associated factors vary by country and region. This indicates that further local investigations are needed to propose specific solutions to improve the occupational health of construction workers.

Building Construction Artisans’ Level of Access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the Perceived Barriers and Motivating Factors of Adherence to Its Use

Background

Employers are required to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) to all employees in Ghana, and employees are required to wear the PPE provided. In Ghana, previous studies on health and safety in the construction industry that touched on PPE use did not explicitly demonstrate the reasons why many workers choose to use or not to use it, though they may be at risk of occupational hazards. The purpose of this study was to determine building construction artisans' level of access to PPE and the perceived barriers and motivating factors of adherence to its use. The contribution of this study lies in its examination of the perceived barriers and motivating factors underlying adherence and nonadherence to PPE use in the construction industry, particularly building construction, which is yet to be determined in Ghana.

Method

Data was collected from 173 frontline building construction workers using a structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using a two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine the effects of demographic variables on the perceived barrier and motivating factors of adherence to PPE use.

Results

The most common PPE that participants had access to was safety boots/shoes, with their main source being borrowing from colleagues. The majority of participants disagreed with the perceived barriers while agreeing with the motivating factors of adherence to PPE use. The results suggest statistically significant differences for years of working experience (Wilks = 0.77, F = 2.47; p ≤ 0.01) and form of employment (Wilks = 0.72, F = 3.25, p ≤ 0.01) for perceived barriers to adherence. For perceived motivating factors to adherence, significant differences were obtained for age group (Wilks = 0.84, F = 2.42, p ≤ 0.01), years of experience (Wilks = 0.85, F = 2.35, p ≤ 0.01), and form of employment (Wilks = 0.71, F = 5.22, p ≤ 0.01).

Conclusion

Age groups, years of experience, and form of employment were the main factors mediating adherence and nonadherence to PPE use by the construction workers. This study recommends safety training for workers if good safety management and performance concerning PPE use are to be achieved.

Ultrashort Version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-3): A Psychometric Assessment

The objective was to determine the validity of the UWES-3, an ultrashort measure of work engagement lacking evidence in Hispanic populations. In total, 200 workers with heterogeneous positions and careers from Metropolitan Lima were enrolled via nonprobabilistic sampling. The UWES-3 and measures of external variables (work accidents, stress overload, and others) were used. Data were collected through a web platform. Items were analysed, nonparametric response theory methods (Mokken scale analysis and Ramsay curves) were applied to the items, and ordinal and linear regression were used to determine the relationships with external variables. The items had statistically similar distributional properties and monotonic associations with external variables but with fewer functional response options. The UWES-3 complied with the monotonic homogeneity model and invariant ordering of items; the scaling of the items, score (greater than 0.80), and reliability (0.94) were high. With the effects of age and sex controlled, the UWES-3 significantly predicted minor accidents at work and job satisfaction and revealed effects of stress overload and perceived efficacy. The theoretical implications of the UWES-3 as a brief unidimensional measure integrating the three original dimensions of the instrument and the practical implications of its use for research and professional practice are discussed.

Prevalence of Work-Related Injury and Its Determinants among Construction Workers in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Construction is one of the highest risky jobs for accident-related fatalities and injuries globally. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of work-related injury and its associated factors among construction workers in Ethiopia.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed by using PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of work-related injury and its associated factors. The heterogeneity of the studies was assessed by using the I² test, and the presence of publication bias was evaluated by using funnel plot and Egger's test.

Results

After reviewing 292 articles, we included 10 studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria in the meta-analysis. The findings from the 10 studies showed that the pooled prevalence of work-related injury in Ethiopia was 46.78% (95% CI: 32.17, 61.38). The subgroup analysis of this study showed that the highest prevalence was reported in Addis Ababa with the prevalence of 55.9% (25.42, 86.4), followed by a study conducted in Oromia Region with a prevalence of 43.3% (33.3, 53.3). Lack of occupational safety training (OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.76, 3.35), not using of personal protective equipment (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.80, 2.99), and male workers (OR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.15, 5.17) were the major factors significantly associated with the occurrence of work-related injury among construction workers.

Conclusions

This study confirmed that construction is still a high-risk job with a high prevalence of work-related injury in Ethiopia. The modifiable risk factors such as the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), lack of safety training, and gender were the major associated factors with injury. Therefore, a continuous safety training and awareness creation program on risk-taking behavior should be given to construction workers.

Investigating prevalence job stress and illness among hospital staff providing health tourism services (HSPHTS) in Iran

BACKGROUND

Health tourism or treatment tourism is one of threatening fields that causes (added s) increase in prevalence of job stress and illnesses among hospital staff of providing health tourism services (HSPHT). The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of job stress and illnesses among hospitals staff of providing health tourism services in touristic cities as Tehran and Shiraz in Iran.

METHODS

This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was carried out among the staff of 10 hospitals providing health tourism services in cities of Tehran and Shiraz, Iran, in 2019. In these hospitals, 1250 staff were chosen by cluster sampling method from each job task as doctor, nurse, office worker, and paramedical and cleaner worker. Also, 1100 staff working in other general hospitals (non-HSPHTS) were selected as the control sample. Then, the demographic information and prevalence of job stress were gathered by Osipow job stress questionnaire and the illnesses were accumulated by self-reporting questionnaire. Finally, data were analyzed in SPSS 20 software. Chi-square and Pearson's parametric tests were used in the study.

RESULTS

Prevalence of illnesses among HSPHTS was more than that in general hospitals (P_value < 0.05). The most prevalent illnesses were respiratory (11.08%), digestive (9.2%), and cutaneous (9.04%), respectively. Also, the prevalence of job stress among HSPHTS was more than that in general hospitals (P_value < 0.05). There was a significant relationship between prevalence of illnesses and job stress among the staff of hospitals and the increase in the number of visited tourists in the hospitals providing health tourism services.

CONCLUSION

Results of the study showed that the prevalence of job stress (%33.76) and illnesses (%43.66) among the HSPHTS was respectively 2 and 2.6 times more than that among the staff of general hospitals. Thus, it is necessary to observe sanitary actions and considerations more seriously in these hospitals.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) use and its relation to accidents among construction workers

Background:

The construction industry is characterized by a high prevalence of accidents and injuries. Inadequate risk management measures, including failure to use or incorrect use of personal protective equipment (PPE) may significantly increase the risk of accidents.

Objectives:

The main objectives of the current study were to measure the prevalence of PPE use and accidents and their associated factors among construction workers.

Methods:

A cross-sectional field study with an analytic component was carried out on 384 workers from different sites in Port-Said, Egypt, using an interview administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included sociodemographic and occupational data, practice of PPE use and accident analysis.

Results:

About 60% of workers use PPE during work. Main reasons for non-use are discomfort, lack of knowledge on how to use it and poor fit. Occupational accidents in the last 12 months were reported by 64.3% of workers. The main accident types were: being hit by falling objects, falls from height, and tool related accidents. Safety training was the significant independent predictor of PPE use (AOR=2.0). However, age, marital status, smoking, safety training, and PPE use were also significant independent predictors of accidents (AOR=2.4, 3.1, 0.5, 0.5, and 0.2; respectively).

Discussion:

Among construction workers, PPE utilization is low with significant relation to safety training while occupational accidents are common and significantly related to safety training and PPE use. Therefore, safety training should be provided, and PPE use should be enforced at construction sites.

Factors Associated with Occupational Injury among Hydropower Dam Construction Workers, South East Ethiopia, 2018

Background

Occupational injuries pose a major public health and socioeconomic developmental problems. Globally, 160 million people encounter occupational injuries; the International Labour Organization estimates that the cost is 4% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) or 1.25 trillion United States Dollar (USD). The second-largest number of occupational injuries was reported from the construction industries. There are limited studies about the prevalence and factors associated with occupational injuries among dam construction workers in Ethiopia. Hence, this study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and associated factors of occupational injury among Genale Dawa hydropower dam construction workers.

Method

Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Genale Dawa 3D hydropower dam construction project from April 1 to 22, 2018. Four hundred and five workers were included in the study. An Oromiffa version pretested, semistructured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were entered into Epi-info version 7, and analysis was done using SPSS version 20 software. Bivariable and multivariate binary logistic regression was used to see the association between predictors and the dependent variable. The 95% CI and adjusted odds ratio with a P value of 0.05 was used to fit the final model.

Results

The prevalence of occupational injuries in the earlier 12 months before the study was 57.8% with (95% CI (52.8, 62.7)). Age, educational status, alcohol consumption, job stress, work shift, and working hours per week were factors significantly associated with occupational injury. Conclusion and recommendation. Occupational injuries were common among dam construction workers. Conducting regular monitoring of substance abuse, avoiding overtime work, rotation of the work shift, and considering age and the educational status during employee recruitment can be effective to decrease the prevalence of occupational injuries.