Research Article
Occupational Health Risk of Waste Pickers: A Case Study of Northern Region of South Africa
Table 1
Socioeconomic demography of waste pickers.
| | Demography and socioeconomic characteristics | Total frequency (%) | Landfill A
n (%) | Landfill B
n (%) | Landfill C
n (%) | value |
| | Gender | | Male | 54 (47.4) | 18 (37.5) | 5 (31.3) | 31 (62) | 0.019 | | Female | 60 (52.6) | 30 (62.5) | 11 (68.8) | 19 (38) | | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | | Age (years in bracket) | | 12–20 | — | — | — | — | ≤0.001 | | 21–30 | 15 (13.3) | 5 9 (10.4) | — | 10 (20) | | | 31–40 | 60 (53.1) | 24 (50) | 7 (43.8) | 29 (58) | | | 41–50 | 33 (29.2) | 19 (39.6) | 3 (18.8) | 11 (22) | | | 51 and above | 5 (4.4) | — | 5 (31.3) | — | | | Did not tell | 1 (0.9) | — | 1 (6.3) | — | | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | | Marital status | | Single | 38 (33.3) | 8 (16.7) | 6 (37.5) | 24 (48) | 0.035 | | Married | 57 (50) | 30 (62.5) | 7 (43.8) | 20 (40) | | | Divorced | 10 (8.8) | 7 (14.6) | — | 3 (6) | | | Widow/widower | 7 (6.1) | 3 (6.3) | 1 (6.3) | 3 (6) | | | Did not tell | 2 (1.8) | — | 2 (12.5) | — | | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | | Highest level of education | | No formal education | 1 (0.9) | — | 1 (6.3) | — | 0.153 | | Primary | 55 (48.2) | 29 (60.4) | 5 (31.3) | 21 (42) | | | Secondary | 57 (50) | 19 (39.6) | 9 (56.3) | 29 (58) | | | Basic degree | 1 (0.9) | — | 1 (6.3) | — | | | Honours degree and above | — | — | — | — | | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | | Years of employment | | 1–3 | 53 (46.5) | 29 (60.4) | 1 (6.3) | 23 (46) | ≤0.001 | | 4–5 | 28 (24.6) | 12 (25) | 4 (25) | 12 (24) | | | 6 | 33 (28.9) | 7 (14.6) | 11 (68.8) | 15 (30) | | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | | Monthly income (Rand)∗ | | 0–500 | 1 (0.9) | — | 1 (6.3) | — | | | 501–1000 | 37 (32.5) | 13 (27.1) | 10 (62.5) | 14 (28) | 0.052 | | 1001–1500 | 54 (47.4) | 22 (45.8) | 3 (18.8) | 29 (58) | | | 3501–5000 | 4 (3.5) | 2 (4.2) | 2 (12.5) | — | | | 5001 | 1 (0.9) | 1 (2.1) | — | — | | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | | Working days | | 1 | — | — | | — | 0.004 | | 2 | 1 (0.9) | 1 (2.1) | | — | | | 3 | | — | | — | | | 4 | 2 (1.8) | — | 2 (12.5) | — | | | 5 | 30 (26.3) | 11 (22.9) | 7 (43.8) | 12 (24) | | | 6 | 39 (34.2) | 19 (39.6) | 5 (31.3) | 15 (30) | | | 7 | 41 (36) | 17 (35.4) | 1 (6.3) | 23 (46) | | | Did not tell | 1 (0.9) | — | 1 (6.3) | — | | | Total | | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | |
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∗1USD equals R 15.6.
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