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Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards (Physical & Mental) Among Rag-Pickers in Mumbai Slums: A Cross-Sectional Study

Received: 3 January 2016     Accepted: 11 January 2016     Published: 25 January 2016
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Abstract

Rag pickers are informal workers who collect recyclable materials to earn a small wage on daily basis. Their life and working conditions are extremely difficult. This paper examined the health status, occupational and environmental health hazards among rag-pickers working in dumping ground of Shivaji-Nagar and Govandi Slums of Mumbai, India. The cross-sectional study gathered data by interviewing 120 rag pickers during the Masters in Public Health course curriculum at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in the year 2012-13. The Occupational and environmental health (Physical & Mental) hazards were assessed using a standard self-reporting questionnaire. Convenient sampling was used to select the rag pickers from the slums of Mumbai. The study shows, rag-pickers suffer from physical as well as mental ill health. The reason for engaged in such kind of work is due to not having other skills and easy or daily income. Most of them are having habits such as tobacco-chewing and consumption. Dog bite and rat bite are common among Rag-pickers. Redness of eyes, headache, backache, accidental injuries are very common among Rag-pickers. Substance abuse itself is one of the mental disorders present among Rag-pickers. Majority of them are associated with mild depression and mild anxiety as common mental disorders. Rag pickers more frequently report physical and mental health problems. Improving the work lives of these precarious workers should address not only the physical hazards of their jobs but their mental and emotional health as well. Unfulfilled health needs of this underprivileged workforce who contributes to the ecology and economy of the city need to be addressed. Sensitization of both general public and government workforce is essential to legitimize this occupation. This in turn may help to alleviate poverty and environmental degradation which is occurring due to rapid and unplanned urbanization in India.

Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 4, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.sjph.20160401.11
Page(s) 1-10
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2016. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Rag Pickers, Slums, Mumbai, India, Environmental and Occupational Health Hazards, Physical & Mental Health Hazards

References
[1] Uplap P, Bhate K. Health profile of women ragpicker members of a nongovernmental organization in Mumbai, India. Indian J Occup Environtal Med. 2014; 18 (3): 140–4.
[2] Firdaus G, Ahmad A. Management of Urban Solid Waste Pollution in Developing Countries. Int J Environ Res. 2010; 4 (4): 795–806.
[3] Rao J, Shantaram V. Ground water pollution from Refuse Dumps at Hyderabad. Indian J Environ Health. 1995; 37 (3): 197–204.
[4] Devi KS, Swamy AVVS, Hema R. Studies on the Solid Waste Collection by Rag Pickers at Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, India. 2014; 3 (1): 13–22.
[5] Da Silva M, Fassa A, Kriebel D. Minor psychiatric disorders among Brazilian ragpickers: a cross-sectional study. Environ Heal A Glob Access Sci Source [Internet]. 2006; 5 (1): 17. Available from: http://www.ehjournal.net/content/5/1/17.
[6] Mili D. Migration and healthcare: access to healthcare services by migrants settled in Shivaji Nagar Slum of Mumbai, India. theHealth. 2011; 2 (3): 82–5.
[7] Da Silva MC, Fassa a G, Siqueira CE, Kriebel D. World at work: Brazilian ragpickers. Occup Environ Med. 2005; 62: 736–40.
[8] Ferreira J a., Anjos L a. Public and occupational health issues related to municipal solid waste management. Cad Saude Publica. 2001; 17 (3): 689–96.
[9] Waxman R, Tennant A, Helliwell P. Community survey of factors associated with consultation for low back pain. Br Med J. 1994; 317: 1564–7.
[10] Nahit ES, Macfarlane GJ, Pritchard CM, Cherry NM, Silman a J. Short term influence of mechanical factors on regional musculoskeletal pain: a study of new workers from 12 occupational groups. Occup Environ Med. 2001; 58: 374–81.
[11] Ray MR, Mukherjee G, Roychowdhury S, Lahiri T. Respiratory and general health impairments of ragpickers in India: a study in Delhi. Int Arch Occup Environ Health [Internet]. 2004; 77 (8): 595–8. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15538615.
[12] Bhavsar S, Hemant M, Kulkarni R. Maternal and Environmental Factors Affecting the Nutritional Status of Children in Mumbai Urban Slum. Int J Sci Res Publ. 2012; 2 (11): 1–9.
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  • APA Style

    Balu Natha Mote, Suhas Balasaheb Kadam, Shrikant Kishorrao Kalaskar, Bharat Shivajirao Thakare, Ambadas Suresh Adhav, et al. (2016). Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards (Physical & Mental) Among Rag-Pickers in Mumbai Slums: A Cross-Sectional Study. Science Journal of Public Health, 4(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20160401.11

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    ACS Style

    Balu Natha Mote; Suhas Balasaheb Kadam; Shrikant Kishorrao Kalaskar; Bharat Shivajirao Thakare; Ambadas Suresh Adhav, et al. Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards (Physical & Mental) Among Rag-Pickers in Mumbai Slums: A Cross-Sectional Study. Sci. J. Public Health 2016, 4(1), 1-10. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20160401.11

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    AMA Style

    Balu Natha Mote, Suhas Balasaheb Kadam, Shrikant Kishorrao Kalaskar, Bharat Shivajirao Thakare, Ambadas Suresh Adhav, et al. Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards (Physical & Mental) Among Rag-Pickers in Mumbai Slums: A Cross-Sectional Study. Sci J Public Health. 2016;4(1):1-10. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20160401.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjph.20160401.11,
      author = {Balu Natha Mote and Suhas Balasaheb Kadam and Shrikant Kishorrao Kalaskar and Bharat Shivajirao Thakare and Ambadas Suresh Adhav and Thirumugam Muthuvel},
      title = {Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards (Physical & Mental) Among Rag-Pickers in Mumbai Slums: A Cross-Sectional Study},
      journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {4},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-10},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20160401.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20160401.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20160401.11},
      abstract = {Rag pickers are informal workers who collect recyclable materials to earn a small wage on daily basis. Their life and working conditions are extremely difficult. This paper examined the health status, occupational and environmental health hazards among rag-pickers working in dumping ground of Shivaji-Nagar and Govandi Slums of Mumbai, India. The cross-sectional study gathered data by interviewing 120 rag pickers during the Masters in Public Health course curriculum at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in the year 2012-13. The Occupational and environmental health (Physical & Mental) hazards were assessed using a standard self-reporting questionnaire. Convenient sampling was used to select the rag pickers from the slums of Mumbai. The study shows, rag-pickers suffer from physical as well as mental ill health. The reason for engaged in such kind of work is due to not having other skills and easy or daily income. Most of them are having habits such as tobacco-chewing and consumption. Dog bite and rat bite are common among Rag-pickers. Redness of eyes, headache, backache, accidental injuries are very common among Rag-pickers. Substance abuse itself is one of the mental disorders present among Rag-pickers. Majority of them are associated with mild depression and mild anxiety as common mental disorders. Rag pickers more frequently report physical and mental health problems. Improving the work lives of these precarious workers should address not only the physical hazards of their jobs but their mental and emotional health as well. Unfulfilled health needs of this underprivileged workforce who contributes to the ecology and economy of the city need to be addressed. Sensitization of both general public and government workforce is essential to legitimize this occupation. This in turn may help to alleviate poverty and environmental degradation which is occurring due to rapid and unplanned urbanization in India.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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    T1  - Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards (Physical & Mental) Among Rag-Pickers in Mumbai Slums: A Cross-Sectional Study
    AU  - Balu Natha Mote
    AU  - Suhas Balasaheb Kadam
    AU  - Shrikant Kishorrao Kalaskar
    AU  - Bharat Shivajirao Thakare
    AU  - Ambadas Suresh Adhav
    AU  - Thirumugam Muthuvel
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20160401.11
    T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
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    EP  - 10
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7950
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20160401.11
    AB  - Rag pickers are informal workers who collect recyclable materials to earn a small wage on daily basis. Their life and working conditions are extremely difficult. This paper examined the health status, occupational and environmental health hazards among rag-pickers working in dumping ground of Shivaji-Nagar and Govandi Slums of Mumbai, India. The cross-sectional study gathered data by interviewing 120 rag pickers during the Masters in Public Health course curriculum at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in the year 2012-13. The Occupational and environmental health (Physical & Mental) hazards were assessed using a standard self-reporting questionnaire. Convenient sampling was used to select the rag pickers from the slums of Mumbai. The study shows, rag-pickers suffer from physical as well as mental ill health. The reason for engaged in such kind of work is due to not having other skills and easy or daily income. Most of them are having habits such as tobacco-chewing and consumption. Dog bite and rat bite are common among Rag-pickers. Redness of eyes, headache, backache, accidental injuries are very common among Rag-pickers. Substance abuse itself is one of the mental disorders present among Rag-pickers. Majority of them are associated with mild depression and mild anxiety as common mental disorders. Rag pickers more frequently report physical and mental health problems. Improving the work lives of these precarious workers should address not only the physical hazards of their jobs but their mental and emotional health as well. Unfulfilled health needs of this underprivileged workforce who contributes to the ecology and economy of the city need to be addressed. Sensitization of both general public and government workforce is essential to legitimize this occupation. This in turn may help to alleviate poverty and environmental degradation which is occurring due to rapid and unplanned urbanization in India.
    VL  - 4
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Author Information
  • Foundation for Research in Community Health (FRCH), Pune, India

  • Department of Research & Documentation, State Health Systems Resource Centre, Maharashtra, India

  • National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), New Delhi, India

  • Meditation, AIDS, Health, De-Addiction, Nutrition (MAHAN), Melghat, India

  • Meditation, AIDS, Health, De-Addiction, Nutrition (MAHAN), Melghat, India

  • Independent Researcher, Chennai, India

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