National Institute for Occupational Health, A division of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa.
School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2022 Mar;95(2):351-363. doi: 10.1007/s00420-021-01787-8. Epub 2021 Nov 5.
To investigate gender differences in health in informal waste pickers affected by poverty and multiple environmental and work hazards.
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at two major landfill sites in a large city. Information on health, work hazards and health care access as well as blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol and BMI were measured.
A total of 361 waste pickers participated in the survey. The women interviewed earned on average 22% less per month than the men waste pickers. The women presented with worse chronic health outcomes (OR 2.69 95% CI 1.51-4.78) and signs of chronic disease (OR 1.73 95% CI 1.02-2.96) compared to men despite showing greater health-seeking behaviours.
Women waste pickers suffer worse health outcomes, such as lifestyle diseases and HIV. Further research is needed to identify the factors involved. Responsive programs supporting health care, improved working conditions and income for waste pickers may also improve their health.
调查受贫困和多种环境及工作危害影响的非正规垃圾捡拾者的健康性别差异。
在一个大城市的两个主要垃圾填埋场进行了一项横断面描述性研究。测量了健康、工作危害和获得医疗保健的信息，以及血压、血糖、胆固醇和 BMI。
共有 361 名拾荒者参与了调查。接受采访的女性平均每月收入比男性拾荒者低 22%。尽管女性表现出更多的寻求医疗服务的行为，但她们的慢性健康结果（OR 2.69，95%CI 1.51-4.78）和慢性疾病迹象（OR 1.73，95%CI 1.02-2.96）比男性更差。
女性拾荒者的健康结果更差，如生活方式疾病和 HIV。需要进一步研究确定相关因素。支持医疗保健、改善工作条件和增加拾荒者收入的响应性计划也可能改善他们的健康。
