College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc., Tucson, AZ, USA.
J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2021 May;31(3):404-411. doi: 10.1038/s41370-021-00317-5. Epub 2021 Mar 27.
Occupational disease and injuries are the 8th leading cause of death in the United States. Low-wage and minority workers are more likely to work in hazardous industries and are thus at greater risk. Within the small business sector, in particular, the health of low-wage and minority workers is threatened by a multitude of complex and interrelated factors that increase their risk for injuries, death, and even chronic disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified these concerns, as many low-wage and minority workers are essential workers, and many small businesses are reopening with little to no guidance. The article describes work-related health risks and reviews current research on occupational and social ecological approaches to improving the health of minority and low-wage workers primarily employed by small businesses. We propose a conceptual framework that integrates the social ecological model with the hierarchy of controls to address work-related health among low-wage and minority workers specifically in the small business sector. Community-based strategies are recommended to engage small business owners and workers in efforts to address their immediate needs, while building towards sustainable policy change over time. These strategies are of particular importance as small businesses reopen in the ongoing pandemic.
在美国，职业病和工伤是第八大死亡原因。低工资和少数族裔工人更有可能在危险行业工作，因此面临更大的风险。特别是在小企业部门，低工资和少数族裔工人的健康受到多种复杂且相互关联的因素的威胁，这些因素增加了他们受伤、死亡甚至患慢性病的风险。新冠疫情加剧了这些担忧，因为许多低工资和少数族裔工人是必要行业的工人，许多小企业在几乎没有任何指导的情况下重新开业。本文描述了与工作相关的健康风险，并回顾了当前关于改善主要受雇于小企业的少数族裔和低工资工人健康的职业和社会生态方法的研究。我们提出了一个概念框架，将社会生态模型与控制层次相结合，以解决小企业中低工资和少数族裔工人的与工作相关的健康问题。建议采取基于社区的策略，让小企业主和工人参与解决他们的当前需求的工作，同时随着时间的推移逐步建立可持续的政策变革。这些策略在小企业在持续的大流行中重新开业时尤为重要。
