Ojo Temitope Olumuyiwa, Naicker Nisha, Afolabi Funmilayo Juliana, Onayade Adedeji Ayodeji
Department of Community Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Division of Occupational Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Front Public Health. 2025 Jun 2;13:1589458. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1589458. eCollection 2025.
Occupational injuries (OIs) remain a major public health concern in the construction industry, especially in developing countries where underreporting poses significant challenges. The belief systems of construction artisans may shape their perceptions of workplace hazards and safety practices, yet these dynamics remain underexplored in Nigeria. Hence, this study explored the beliefs about causes and prevention of OIs among artisans in the informal sector of the construction industry in Osun State, Nigeria.
Twelve focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in Osun State, Nigeria, with six FGDs each held with bricklayers and carpenters. Each FGD comprised five to seven participants. A semi-structured FGD guide was employed to moderate the discussions. Each session was facilitated by a moderator and a note-taker. Verbatim transcription was done for FGD audios, the transcripts were coded and thematically analysed using the ATLAS.ti software. Relevant direct quotations illustrating the themes and subthemes were cited accordingly.
Seventy artisans participated in the FGDs and all participants were male. The findings identified a range of beliefs about injury causation, with a strong emphasis on spiritual beliefs. These included notions of predestination by God and enchantment. However, a less common belief suggested that adherence to safety precautions could prevent injuries. Also, some participants expressed a nuanced combination of these perspectives. Perceptions of injury prevention were reflected in various subthemes, including the importance of prayers, avoiding conflicts, or taking jobs from others, maintaining safe housekeeping practices, government provision or subsidization of personal protective equipment (PPE) and its correct usage, provision of safety training and effective supervision.
Workplace injuries among artisans were attributed to spiritual factors, limited access to safety equipment, and inadequate compliance with safety measures. Addressing these challenges requires culturally sensitive interventions, considering the perceptions of the artisans, alongside providing subsidized PPE, durable tools, targeted training, and effective supervision to foster a safer working environment and minimize injury risks.
职业伤害（OIs）仍是建筑业主要的公共卫生问题，尤其是在发展中国家，漏报情况严重，带来了重大挑战。建筑工匠的信仰体系可能会塑造他们对工作场所危害和安全实践的认知，但在尼日利亚，这些动态关系仍未得到充分探索。因此，本研究探讨了尼日利亚奥孙州建筑业非正规部门工匠对职业伤害的成因及预防的看法。
在尼日利亚奥孙州进行了12次焦点小组讨论（FGDs），分别与砖匠和木匠各进行了6次FGDs。每次FGD由五至七名参与者组成。采用半结构化的FGD指南主持讨论。每次会议由一名主持人和一名记录员协助。对FGD音频进行逐字转录，对转录文本进行编码，并使用ATLAS.ti软件进行主题分析。相应地引用了说明主题和子主题的相关直接引语。
70名工匠参与了FGDs，所有参与者均为男性。研究结果确定了一系列关于伤害成因的看法，其中强烈强调精神信仰。这些包括上帝预定和魔法的观念。然而，一种不太常见的看法是，遵守安全预防措施可以预防伤害。此外，一些参与者表达了这些观点的细微差别组合。对伤害预防的认知体现在各个子主题中，包括祈祷的重要性、避免冲突或承接他人的工作、保持安全的内务管理做法、政府提供或补贴个人防护装备（PPE）及其正确使用、提供安全培训和有效监督。
工匠的工作场所伤害归因于精神因素、安全设备获取有限以及对安全措施的遵守不足。应对这些挑战需要采取文化敏感的干预措施，考虑工匠的认知，同时提供补贴的PPE、耐用工具、有针对性的培训和有效监督，以营造更安全的工作环境并将伤害风险降至最低。
