Occupational Health Conditions and Associated Factors Among Municipal Solid Waste Collectors in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

• Main Authors: Melaku HS, Tiruneh MA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2020-11-01
• Series: Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
• Subjects: municipal waste; waste collectors; occupational health; health conditions; addis ababa; ethiopia
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/occupational-health-conditions-and-associated-factors-among-municipal--peer-reviewed-article-RMHP

Henok Sileshi Melaku,1 Mesafint Abeje Tiruneh2 1Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 2Bethzatha General Hospital, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Henok Sileshi Melaku Email [e-mail]: Municipal solid waste collection is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. It exposes the workers to physical, biological, and chemical hazards, and occupation-related morbidities. In developing countries, municipal solid waste management-related occupational morbidities are not properly addressed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate occupational health conditions and associated factors among municipal solid waste collectors in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Materials and Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 576 municipal solid waste collectors in Addis Ababa from August 2019 to September 2019. To select the study participants, a multistage sampling technique was used. The data were collected by using a structured interviewer administered questionnaire. The association between the dependent and independent variables was analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis at 95% confidence interval and variables with P-value< 0.05 were considered as statistically significant to the dependent variable.Results: A total of 576 municipal solid waste collectors participated in the study, which makes the response rate 96.9%. Among the total municipal solid waste collectors, 295 (51.2%) of them had occupational health symptoms. Work experience (AOR=1.86, 95% CI=1.01– 2.18), family size (AOR=1.76, 95% CI=1.15– 2.71), personal protective equipment (AOR=2.31, 95% CI=1.32– 4.04), and working hours per day (AOR=1.76, 95% CI=1.22– 2.68) were significantly associated with occupational health conditions.Conclusion: The magnitude of occupational health symptoms among municipal solid waste collectors in Addis Ababa was high. Work experience, working hours per day, type of PPE, and family size were significantly associated with occupational health conditions. Therefore, providing appropriate and full body cover personal protective equipment, giving training, monitoring working hours, and conducting studies including medical evaluation is crucial.Keywords: municipal waste, waste collectors, occupational health, health conditions, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia