A Study On The Health Problems And The Influencing Factors Of Greenhouse Workers In Shouguang, Shandong Province

ObjectiveBy understanding the major health problems of vegetable greenhouse workers and their working conditions, analyzing the factors that lead to different health problems, to provide a basis for further researches.Methods1.By personal interviews with1staff of the CDC,2doctors of the township hospital and5greenhouse workers, to provide basis of questionnaire survey.2.Carrying out a cross-sectional survey in Shouguang, Shandong Province. Selected1285subjects from4towns, investigated the health problems and influencing factors. Using the univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression to analyze the data.Results1.The main type of greenhouses grown by surveyed population is high-temperature greenhouse, accounting for94.6%. The cultivation area is mainly concentrated between1acre to3acres, accounting for69.4%. The main vegetables planted are tomato, eggplant, cucumber and so on.44.8%of the population engaged in greenhouse vegetable cultivation over11years,36.0%over20years.83.0%of the population working in greenhouses for9to10months annually, and81.6%of the subjects working over8hours per day.2.The incidence of musculoskeletal pain was77.0%, and the top three locations were low back pain(70.8%), knee pain(44.2%) and neck pain(27.0%). The univariate analysis found the differences of incidence in gender, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, greenhouse area, carrying a bench, crop types, the number of years engaged in greenhouse vegetable growing, working hours in the greenhouse per year and using rolling machine, were statistically significant. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed gender, age, alcohol consumption, type of crop and the annual work time related to musculoskeletal pain. Carrying a bench was a risk factor of knee pain, using rolling machine was a protect factor of neck pain. 3.The incidence of allergic symptom was27.0%, and the top three symptoms were skin itching(16.3%), cough(11.4%) and dyspnea(7.9%). Univariate analysis found that the differences of incidence in gender, type of crop, greenhouse working time per day, use of pesticides were statistically significant. Multivariate logistic regression found that the incidence of allergic symptoms only associated with gender and type of crop.4.The incidence of injury was7.8%. Most of injuries are occurred between October and February of the following year, accounting for62.2%. Fall was the main cause of injuries, accounting for59.2%, and56.6%of injuries occured during shuttering ventilation. Univariate analysis found that the difference of incidence in alcohol consumption, greenhouse type, crop type, number of years engaged in greenhouse working, working months each year, working hours per day, were statistically significant. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the above factors were related to injuries.5.Of the survey population,70.9%reported they used pesticides last year,64of them reported acute poisoning symptoms within24hours after spraying pesticides, the incidence rate was7.1%. The main categories of pesticides used were fungicides and insecticides. The main way of them obtaining safety knowledge was salesmen. Applicators with risk scores of4-9is accounting59.2%. Among the respondents,65.3%of them used rolling machines. Among the people who used rolling machines,37.7%never received any training before the first use,44.3%think there was no need for training,25.8%said even if there is free training they would not participate.Conclusion1.The major health problems of vegetable greenhouse workers were musculoskeletal pain and allergic disease.2.The prevention of injury among greenhouse workers should focus on the falls caused during shutter ventilation.3.Also acute occupational pesticide poisoning was not the major health problem of greenhouse workers, but risk behaviors still existed.