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Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 32116

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lorann Stallones

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Guest Editor

Department of Psychology, Colorado School of Public Health at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Interests: agricultural safety and health; mental health; injury epidemiology; occupational injuries
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Catharina Wesseling

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Guest Editor

1. Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
2. La Isla Network, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Interests: environmental and occupational health

Prof. Leslie London

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Guest Editor

Division of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, 7925 Cape Town, South Africa
Interests: environmental and occupational health

Special Issue Information

In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg

This Special Issue was supported, in part, by a donation in memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg.

Dan passed away in August 2020 after a distinguished career as an epidemiologist, teacher, researcher, and community advocate.

Dan spent the bulk of his career at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute at Rutgers University, in New Jersey.

Dan was a founding member, secretary–treasurer (2001–2006), and president (2010–2011) of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE).

He initiated and nurtured activities that increased the society’s worldwide influence and established its strong reputation in the mentoring of young investigators in the field.

One of these activities, called AuthorAid, provided support to authors from low- and middle-income countries seeking to get manuscripts published in peer-reviewed environmental health journals.

The support provided for this Special Issue represents the on-going legacy of Dan Wartenberg's lifelong work, for which the authors and co-editors are deeply grateful.

Dear Colleagues,

Vulnerable and precarious work includes self-employed workers, informal workers, migrant and temporary workers, and any workers less likely to have formal work arrangements, and more likely to lack decent working conditions, adequate social security as well as effective representation by trade unions and similar organizations. Vulnerable employment is often characterized by inadequate earnings, low productivity and difficult working conditions that undermine workers’ fundamental rights. Vulnerable workers can be exposed to work hazards, be at high risk of acute and disabling injuries while lacking access to adequate care. Changes in work organization and hiring practices have increased the occurrence of workers in precarious employment circumstances. This Special Issue will address the hazards experienced by vulnerable workers including, but not limited to, contract laborers, domestic labor, low wage earners, temporary employees, immigrant and migrant workers, sex workers, and children.

Kind regards,

Prof. Dr. Lorann Stallones
Prof. Catharina Wesseling
Prof. Leslie London
Guest Editors

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Keywords

occupation
vulnerable workers
informal sector
Occupational Health and Safety Challenges
low wage earners

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Working with Waste: Hazards and Mitigation Strategies Used by Waste Pickers in the Inner City of Durban

by Ntobeko Mlotshwa, Tanya Dayaram, Asiphile Khanyile, Princess A. Sibanda, Kira Erwin and Tamlynn Fleetwood

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 12986; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192012986 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2458

Abstract

Informal waste pickers in cities across the Global South divert significant amounts of tonnage from landfills. This diversion contributes towards a sustainable environment and better public health practices. Informal workers globally derive livelihoods from collecting, sorting, and selling recyclable waste. In South Africa, there is growing recognition of the valuable work that waste pickers carry out. Despite this, however, these informal workers remain largely unrecognised, are often stigmatised, and suffer from a lack of social protection linked to their work. This lack of recognition and protection creates specific occupational hazards for waste pickers. Using an ethnographic method, this study explores the physical and socio-psychological hazards that emerge from waste picking on the streets of the inner city of Durban, in South Africa. We found that the waste pickers, the majority of whom were women, developed mitigation strategies against these risks. A better understanding of how the occupational hazards of waste picking are shaped by the local context of working on the street enables the recognition of the knowledge waste pickers already hold regarding mitigation strategies. Insight into occupational hazards are important to consider if the municipal integration of waste pickers is to happen in a way that ensures access to social protections for these informal workers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

12 pages, 967 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Informal Employment and Poor Mental Health in a Sample of 180,260 Workers from 13 Iberoamerican Countries

by Michael Silva-Peñaherrera, Paula Santiá and Fernando G. Benavides

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7883; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137883 - 27 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1654

Abstract

The aim of this study is to estimate the association between employment conditions and mental health status in the working population of Iberoamerica. In this cross-sectional study, we pooled individual-level data from nationally representative surveys across 13 countries. A sample of 180,260 workers was analyzed. Informality was assessed by social security, health affiliation, or contract holding. Mental health was assessed using several instruments. We used Poisson regression models to estimate the contribution of informality to poor mental health by sex and country, adjusted by sociodemographic and work-related characteristics. Then, we performed a meta-analysis pooling of aggregate data using a random-effects inverse-variance model. Workers in informal employments showed a higher adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) of poor mental health than those in formal employment in Peru (aPR men 1.5 [95% confidence intervals 1.16; 1.93]), Spain (aPR men 2.2 [1.01; 4.78]) and Mexico (aPR men 1.24 [1.04; 1.47]; women 1.39 [1.18; 1.64]). Overall estimates showed that workers in informal employment have a higher prevalence of poor mental health than formal workers, with it being 1.19 times higher (aPR 1.19 [1.02; 1.39]) among men, and 1.11 times higher prevalence among women (aPR 1.11 [1.00; 1.23]). Addressing informal employment could contribute to improving workers’ mental health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

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14 pages, 806 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Informality, Social Citizenship, and Wellbeing among Migrant Workers in Costa Rica in the Context of COVID-19

by Mathieu J. P. Poirier, Douglas Barraza, C. Susana Caxaj, Ana María Martínez, Julie Hard and Felipe Montoya

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6224; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106224 - 20 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2627

Abstract

Costa Rica is home to 557,000 migrants, whose disproportionate exposure to precarious, dangerous, and informal work has resulted in persistent inequities in health and wellbeing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a novel multimodal grounded approach synthesizing documentary film, experiential education, and academic research to explore socioecological wellbeing among Nicaraguan migrant workers in Costa Rica. Participants pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as exacerbating the underlying conditions of vulnerability, such as precarity and informality, dangerous working conditions, social and systemic discrimination, and additional burdens faced by women. However, the narrative that emerged most consistently in shaping migrants’ experience of marginalization were challenges in obtaining documentation—both in the form of legal residency and health insurance coverage. Our results demonstrate that, in spite of Costa Rica’s acclaimed social welfare policies, migrant workers continue to face exclusion due to administrative, social, and financial barriers. These findings paint a rich picture of how multiple intersections of precarious, informal, and dangerous working conditions; social and systemic discrimination; gendered occupational challenges; and access to legal residency and health insurance coverage combine to prevent the full achievement of a shared minimum standard of social and economic security for migrant workers in Costa Rica. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

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9 pages, 687 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Informal Employment, Working Conditions, and Self-Perceived Health in 3098 Peruvian Urban Workers

by Michael Silva-Peñaherrera, Amaya Ayala-Garcia, Erika Alferez Mayer, Iselle Sabastizagal-Vela and Fernando G. Benavides

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6105; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106105 - 17 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2209

Abstract

Peru has one of the highest informal employment rates in Latin America (73%). Previous studies have shown a higher prevalence of poor self-perceived health (P-SPH) in informal than in formal workers. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of working conditions in the association between informality and SPH in an urban working population in Peru. We conducted a cross-sectional study based on 3098 workers participating in the working conditions survey of Peru 2017. The prevalence of P-SPH and exposure to poor working conditions were calculated separately for formal and informal employment and were stratified by sex. Poisson regression models were used to assess the association between P-SPH and informal employment, with crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) for working conditions. Informal employment affected 76% of women and 66% of men. Informal workers reported higher exposition to poor working conditions than formal workers and reported worse SPH. Informal workers had a higher risk of P-SPH than formal workers: PR 1.38 [95% CI: 1.16–1.64] in women and PR 1.27 [95% CI: 1.08–1.49] in men. Adjustment by working conditions weakened the association in both sexes. In women, this association was only partially explained by worse working conditions; PR 1.23 [95% CI: 1.04–1.46]. Although some of the negative effect of informal employment on workers´ health can be explained by the characteristics of informality per se, such as poverty, a substantial part of this effect can be explained by poor working conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

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18 pages, 14902 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Workplace Intervention for Heat Stress: Essential Elements of Design, Implementation, and Assessment

by Jason Glaser, David H. Wegman, Esteban Arias-Monge, Felipe Pacheco-Zenteno, Heath Prince, Denis Chavarria, William Jose Martinez-Cuadra, Kristina Jakobsson, Erik Hansson, Rebekah A. I. Lucas, Ilana Weiss and Catharina Wesseling

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 3779; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19073779 - 22 Mar 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3717

Abstract

Heat stress is associated with numerous health effects that potentially harm workers, especially in a warming world. This investigation occurred in a setting where laborers are confronted with occupational heat stress from physically demanding work in high environmental temperatures. Collaboration with a major Nicaraguan sugarcane producer offered the opportunity to study interventions to prevent occupational heat-stress-related kidney disease. Two aims for this study of a rest-shade-water intervention program were: (1) describe the evolving intervention, summarize findings that motivated proposed improvements, assess impact of those improvements, and identify challenges to successful implementation and (2) extract primary lessons learned about intervention research that have both general relevance to investigations of work-related disease prevention and specific relevance to this setting. The learning curve for the various stakeholders as well as the barriers to success demonstrate that effectiveness of an intervention cannot be adequately assessed without considerations of implementation. Designing, effectively implementing, and assessing both health impacts and implementation quality is a resource-intensive endeavor requiring a transdisciplinary approach. Both general and specific lessons learned are presented for decisions on study design and study elements, implementation assessment, and management engagement in understanding how productivity and health can be successfully balanced and for building effective communication between investigators and all levels of management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

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16 pages, 1034 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preliminary Exploration of Weekly Peer Group Discussions as a Strategy for Coping with Feelings Associated with Euthanasia in Dairy Caretakers

by Lily Edwards-Callaway, Hailey Simpson, Noa Román-Muñiz, Catie Cramer, Sage Mijares, Lorann Stallones, Jorge Rivera-Gonzalez and Jennifer Aberle

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2177; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042177 - 15 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1686

Abstract

Dairy caretakers experience a variety of occupational risks including stress related to performing euthanasia and making euthanasia-related decisions for cattle in their care. Few supportive interventions exist to help caretakers cope with euthanasia-related stress. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of weekly peer discussion sessions as an intervention to reduce euthanasia-related stress and grief in dairy caretakers. This study utilized scores from a modified pet-based bereavement questionnaire to assess the change in bereavement of caretakers in response to euthanasia-related stress in a non-treatment group (who did not attend peer discussion sessions, n = 7) and a treatment group (who attended peer discussion sessions, n = 15). Key findings of this study were that discussion sessions did not have a direct impact on the study outcomes as measured using a pet bereavement scale, as there was no difference in the change in bereavement scores during the 8 week study period between the treatment and non-treatment groups. Thematic analysis of peer discussions revealed that compassion towards dairy cattle is a prominent factor in areas of decision making, protocols, and training. Further studies should continue to explore how performing euthanasia and making euthanasia-related decisions impacts caretakers and what supportive interventions can reduce stress and grief. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

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15 pages, 652 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Occupational Stressors and Access to COVID-19 Resources among Commuting and Residential Hispanic/Latino Farmworkers in a US-Mexico Border Region

by Annie Jane Keeney, Amy Quandt, Mercy D. Villaseñor, Daniela Flores and Luis Flores, Jr.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(2), 763; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020763 - 11 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4451

Abstract

Hispanic/Latino and migrant workers experience high degrees of occupational stress, constitute most of California’s agricultural workforce, and were among the most impacted populations by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, relatively little is known about the occupational stress experienced by farmworkers who commute daily between the US and Mexico. Occupational stress is considered an imbalance between the demands at work and the capabilities to respond in the context of the workforce. The goal of this study is to determine the type and severity of stressors in daytime and resident farmworkers and how COVID-19 vaccination status contributes to these stressors. Interviews containing the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory (MSWSI) were administered to a sample of 199 Hispanic/Latino farmworkers in Imperial County, a multi-billion-dollar agriculture sector in the US. Principal factor analysis differentiated latent factors in the MFSWI. Simple linear regression models and correlations identified associations between MFWSI scores and sample characteristics. The MFWSI reduced to five stressor domains: Health and Well-Being Vulnerabilities, Inadequate Standards of Living/Unknown Conditions of Living, Working Conditions, Working Environment, and Language Barriers. Approximately 40 percent of the respondents reported significant stress levels, with foreign-born (p = 0.014) and older respondents (p = 0.0415) being more likely to experience elevated stress regardless of their nighttime residence. We found that Spanish-language COVID-19 outreach might have been particularly effective for workers who reported high stress from English-language communication (p = 0.001). Moreover, our findings point to the importance of worker and human rights to mitigate the high-stress foreign-born workers who live in Mexico and the US experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

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13 pages, 1523 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Precarious Employment and Psychosocial Hazards: A Cross-Sectional Study in Stockholm County

by Signild Kvart, Johanna Jonsson, Theo Bodin, Carin Håkansta, Bertina Kreshpaj, Cecilia Orellana, Per-Olof Östergren, Lotta Nylén and Nuria Matilla-Santander

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11218; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111218 - 26 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2319

Abstract

Precarious employment (PE) has been linked to adverse health effects, possibly mediated through psychosocial hazards. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to explore if higher levels of PE are associated with psychosocial hazards (experiences of violence, sexual harassment, bullying, discrimination, high demands, and low control) and to explore gender differences in these patterns. The study is based on survey- and register data from a sample of 401 non-standard employees in Stockholm County (2016–2017). The level of PE (low/high) was assessed with the Swedish version of the employment precariousness scale (EPRES-Se) and analysed in relation to psychosocial hazards by means of generalized linear models, with the Poisson family and robust variances. After controlling for potential confounders (gender, age, country of birth, and education), the prevalence of suffering bullying (PR 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01–1.13) and discrimination (PR 1.52, 95% CI: 1.00–2.32) was higher among individuals with a high level of PE. Regarding the demand/control variables, a high level of PE was also associated with low control (PR 1.59, 95% CI: 1.30–1.96) and passive work (the combination of low demands and low control) (PR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.23–2.08). Our findings suggest that workers in PE are more likely to experience psychosocial hazards, and these experiences are more prevalent among women compared to men. Future longitudinal studies should look further into these associations and their implications for health and health inequalities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

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16 pages, 91865 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Whose Jurisdiction Is Home Contamination? Para-Occupational ‘Take-Home’ Herbicide Residue Exposure Risks among Forestry Workers’ Families in South Africa

by Bonolo Anita Pududu and Hanna-Andrea Rother

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10341; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910341 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1538

Abstract

Para-occupational “take-home” exposure risks among forestry workers and their families in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) have not been well characterized. This is a concern because research shows an association between chronic low-dose herbicide exposure and adverse health effects. This study explored take-home herbicide residue exposure risks among forestry workers in the Western Cape, South Africa, through the community-based participatory research approach of photovoice. A key finding of the study was the absence of provisions related to take-home exposure in the national legislation and workplace policies, which largely contributed to poor adherence to risk reduction practices at worksites, in addition to workers transporting residues to their homes. This study demonstrated evidence of the key omissions regarding take-home exposure at the policy level (e.g., recommendations for employers to reduce take-home risks among employees, and training of workers and their families on take-home exposure) and take-home herbicide residue exposure among worker’s families, including children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

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Review

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26 pages, 1284 KiB

Open AccessReview

Risk Factors for Brain Health in Agricultural Work: A Systematic Review

by Emily Terese Sturm, Colton Castro, Andrea Mendez-Colmenares, John Duffy, Agnieszka (Aga) Z. Burzynska, Lorann Stallones and Michael L. Thomas

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3373; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063373 - 13 Mar 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3262

Abstract

Certain exposures related to agricultural work have been associated with neurological disorders. To date, few studies have included brain health measurements to link specific risk factors with possible neural mechanisms. Moreover, a synthesis of agricultural risk factors associated with poorer brain health outcomes is missing. In this systematic review, we identified 106 articles using keywords related to agriculture, occupational exposure, and the brain. We identified seven major risk factors: non-specific factors that are associated with agricultural work itself, toluene, pesticides, heavy metal or dust exposure, work with farm animals, and nicotine exposure from plants. Of these, pesticides are the most highly studied. The majority of qualifying studies were epidemiological studies. Nigral striatal regions were the most well studied brain area impacted. Of the three human neuroimaging studies we found, two focused on functional networks and the third focused on gray matter. We identified two major directions for future studies that will help inform preventative strategies for brain health in vulnerable agricultural workers: (1) the effects of moderators such as type of work, sex, migrant status, race, and age; and (2) more comprehensive brain imaging studies, both observational and experimental, involving several imaging techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

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Other

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35 pages, 937 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Initiatives Addressing Precarious Employment and Its Effects on Workers’ Health and Well-Being: A Systematic Review

by Virginia Gunn, Bertina Kreshpaj, Nuria Matilla-Santander, Emilia F. Vignola, David H. Wegman, Christer Hogstedt, Emily Q. Ahonen, Theo Bodin, Cecilia Orellana, Sherry Baron, Carles Muntaner, Patricia O’Campo, Maria Albin and Carin Håkansta

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2232; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042232 - 16 Feb 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4442

Abstract

The prevalence of precarious employment has increased in recent decades and aspects such as employment insecurity and income inadequacy have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify, appraise, and synthesise existing evidence pertaining to implemented initiatives addressing precarious employment that have evaluated and reported health and well-being outcomes. We used the PRISMA framework to guide this review and identified 11 relevant initiatives through searches in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and three sources of grey literature. We found very few evaluated interventions addressing precarious employment and its impact on the health and well-being of workers globally. Ten out of 11 initiatives were not purposefully designed to address precarious employment in general, nor specific dimensions of it. Seven out of 11 initiatives evaluated outcomes related to the occupational health and safety of precariously employed workers and six out of 11 evaluated worker health and well-being outcomes. Most initiatives showed the potential to improve the health of workers, although the evaluation component was often described with less detail than the initiative itself. Given the heterogeneity of the 11 initiatives regarding study design, sample size, implementation, evaluation, economic and political contexts, and target population, we found insufficient evidence to compare outcomes across types of initiatives, generalize findings, or make specific recommendations for the adoption of initiatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Risks among Vulnerable and Precarious Workers — In Memory of Dr. Dan Wartenberg)

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