Health of bakery workers in Lebanon

Background: Researchers have observed associations between Self-rated health (SRH) and a variety of individual factors including socioeconomic, health history and status, and occupational factors ranging from job insecurity to work stress. Objectives: This research examines the association between poor reports of health and several work-related variables among workers in Lebanese bakeries. Methods: A survey of 504 bakeries was carried out across Lebanon. A random sample of bakeries was selected from a GIS sampling frame. Interviews were conducted at bakeries with the consent of workers in 2010. The questionnaire assessed self-rated health, workplace concerns, job satisfaction and socio-demographic variables. Descriptive and logistic regression models are presented using SPSS 20.0. Results: Nearly 17% of workers reported poor self-rated health. About 78% of the workers were under the age of 51, 15% reported suffering a chronic illness, and 40% felt their employment was insecure. Workers suffering from chronic illnesses were three times as likely to report poor SRH (OR: 2.90; CI: 1.47-5.70), and those with 12-month reports of musculoskeletal pain had significantly higher reports (OR: 5.07; CI: 2.79-9.22). Workers perceptions that workplace temperatures negatively affected their health were 3.5 times more to report poor SRH; feelings of job insecurity were also associated with an increase (OR: 1.89; CI: 1.01-3.51). Conclusions: The relationship between SRH and other morbidities found in this study is well established in the literature, as is the link with job insecurity. This study highlights the need for improved workplace conditions and strengthened labor protections for workers in Lebanon's bakery industry.