A Study on Health Status among Power Loom Workers in Urban Meerut (UP)

Throughout the world, work related injuries continue to cause serious public health problems and are leading cause of disease, disability and death. In developing countries including India, the risk of having work related injury is 10 to 20 times higher than that of developed countries.

To study socio demographic characteristics of the power loom workers. 2) To study the health status of power loom workers.

A community based, cross-sectional study was conducted among the power loom workers of small scale industries of Meerut. 325 workers were selected by purposive sampling. The subjects were then interviewed by using a pre-designed, pre-tested semi-structured interview schedule. Health status was assessed by asking questions regarding their health problems followed by clinical examination.

Most of the workers were males 319 (98.2%) who were mostly in the 15–25 years age-group 94(28.9%) followed by 26–35 years (27.1%). Most of the workers were illiterate 260 (80%) and more than half of the study population belonged to upper lower class 233 (71.7%) according to modified kuppuswamy scale. More than half of the study population (53.2%) workers were addicted to one or more substances- mainly smoking, and tobacco chewing or both. Musculoskeletal problems 204 (62.8%) was the commonest health problem followed by respiratory problem 99(30.5%), ocular 36(11%) and auditory 34(10.4%).

This study suggested that work related musculoskeletal disorders was found to be the commonest morbidity among small scale power loom industrial workers followed by respiratory problem. It is necessary that power loom workers are made aware that how it can be prevented by using correct posture and using personal protective devices while working in power loom.