Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Stephanie Premji, MSc, Institute of environmental sciences (ISE) / CINBIOSE, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale centre-ville, Montreal, QC H3P 3P8, Canada, 514-987-3000, 7697#, stephanie.premji@internet.uqam.ca, Karen Messing, PhD, Department of biological sciences / CINBIOSE, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale centre-ville, Montreal, QC H3P 3P8, Canada, and Katherine Lippel, Department of legal studies / CINBIOSE, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale centre-ville, Montreal, QC H3P 3P8, Canada.

Occupational title and task assignment are often used to characterize exposure to health and safety risks in occupational health studies. However, these measures may mask within-job and within-task ethnicity related differences that can influence exposure to risks. We report on a qualitative study of a large clothing factory in Montreal, Canada. In 2004 and 2005, with the collaboration of the union (FTQ), individual interviews were conducted with 15 people (9 women and 6 men) from Eastern and Southern Asia, South America, Europe, the Caribbean and Canada. Interviews were conducted in French and English, and two interviews were conducted with interpreters. Interviews were transcribed and coded according to emerging themes. Results indicate that the main difference within-job is according to gender, with men and women generally performing different tasks even within the same job titles. Within the same tasks, ethnicity (and gender) related differences were apparent and included issues related to language and partiality in the distribution of work material, to name but a few. We provide examples of these aspects and their impact on risk exposure. Differences such as these need to be made explicit since higher rates of accidents or illnesses among certain groups can be and have been interpreted as reflecting an increased susceptibility rather than an increase in exposure. We argue that only qualitative methods can bring to light such dynamics.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Discuss some of the limitations associated with the use of job titles and task assignments in measuring risk exposure in the workplace.
• Describe the ways in which ethnicity-related factors can impact risk exposure.
• Recognize the benefits of qualitative methodologies in occupational health research.

Keywords: Ethnicity, Occupational Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered