The relationship between working conditions and health status in working population that is affiliated to the colombian general system for occupational risk management

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the relationship between working conditions and health status using the data provided by The First Colombian National Survey on Health and Working Conditions (I-ENCST). Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted on 931 workers from 737 work centers. The outcome variable was self-perceived health status (good/poor). Exposure variables were working conditions, i.e. hygiene, safety, ergonomic, and psychosocial risk factors. Additional variables were: sex, age, social class, education level, geographic region, and economic activity. We estimated the relationship between working conditions and health status using crude odds ratios (OR) that were adjusted through logistic regression with their confidence intervals at 95% (CI95%). Results: workers exposed to the following factors had a higher probability of having a poor health status: insufficient working space (aOR 3.9; 95%CI 1.9-8.3), “the position held does not make it possible to develop skills” (aOR 6.2; 95%CI 2.6-14.7), the work center is very unsafe or not very safe (aOR 7.5; 95%CI 3.0-18.6), and the tools or workstation are inadequate (aOR 5.6; 95%CI 2.3-14.0). Discussion: of the analyzed population, individuals exposed to precarious working conditions had a higher risk of having a poor health status.

Keywords

• working conditions
• health
• risk factors
• occupational health
• surveys
• Colombia