Research Article
Occupational Health Risk of Waste Pickers: A Case Study of Northern Region of South Africa
Table 2
Waste picking and associated health symptoms in the last 1 year.
| Health symptoms | Total frequency (%) | Landfill A n (%) | Landfill B n (%) | Landfill C n (%) | value |
| Respiratory symptoms | Yes | 14 (14.28) | — | 7 (43.75) | 16 (32) | 0.006 | No | 73 (64.04) | 48 (100) | 6 (37.5) | 19 (38) | | Did not tell | 27 (23.68) | — | 3 (18.75) | 15 (30) | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Gastrointestinal symptoms | Yes | 8 (7.02) | — | 6 (37.5) | 5 (10) | 0.002 | No | 64 (56.14) | 47 (97.92) | 3 (18.75) | 16 (32) | | Did not tell | 42 (36.84) | 1 (2.08) | 7 (43.75) | 29 (58) | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Dermatological (skin) symptoms | Yes | 12 (10.53) | 8 (16.67) | 7 (43.75) | 11 (22) | ≤0.001 | No | 60 (52.63) | 40 (83.33) | 3 (18.75) | 17 (34) | | Did not tell | 42 (36.84) | — | 6 (37.5) | 22 (44) | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Musculoskeletal symptoms | Yes | 16 (14.04) | — | 10 (62.5) | 12 (24) | ≤0.001 | No | 60 (52.63) | 38 (79.17) | 2 (12.5) | 19 (38) | | Did not tell | 38 (33.33) | 10 (20.83) | 4 (25) | 19 (38) | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Eye symptoms | Yes | 14 (12.28) | 11 (22.92) | 8 (50) | 6 (12) | ≤0.001 | No | 41 (35.96) | 32 (66.67) | 2 (12.5) | 4 (8) | | Did not tell | 60 (52.63) | 5 (10.42) | 6 (37.5) | 40 (80) | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Ear symptoms | Yes | 4 (3.51) | — | 3 (18.75) | 1 (2) | ≤0.001 | No | 45 (39.47) | 41 (85.42) | 2 (12.5) | 1 (2) | | Did not tell | 65 (57.02) | 7 (14.58) | 11 (68.75) | 48 (96) | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Self-rated health condition | Very good | 13 (11.4) | 2 (4.17) | 7 (43.75) | 4 (8) | ≤0.001 | Good | 56 (49.12) | 24 (50) | 7 (43.75) | 25 (50) | | Average/fair | 36 (31.58) | 18 (37.5) | — | 18 (36) | | Poor | 6 (5.26) | 4 (8.33) | — | 2 (4) | | Did not tell | 3 (2.63) | — | 2 (12.5) | 1 (2) | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Mental health disorders | At risk | 24 (21.05) | 8 (16.67) | 5 (31.25) | 11 (22) | 0.460 | Not at risk | 90 (78.95) | 40 (83.33) | 11 (68.75) | 39 (78) | | Did not tell | — | — | — | — | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Clinic/hospital visit in the last 1 year | Yes | 62 (54.39) | 27 (56.25) | 3 (18.75) | 32 (64) | 0.006 | No | 52 (45.61) | 21 (43.75) | 13 (81.25) | 18 (36) | | Did not tell | — | — | — | — | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Smoking habit | Yes | 50 (43.86) | 23 (47.92) | 5 (31.25) | 22 (44) | 0.617 | No | 63 (55.26) | 25 (52.08) | 10 (62.5) | 28 (56) | | Did not tell | 1 (0.9) | — | 1 (6.25) | — | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Alcohol usage | Yes | 66 (57.89) | 30 (62.5) | 4 (25) | 32 (64) | 0.015 | No | 48 (42.11) | 18 (37.5) | 12 (75) | 18 (36) | | Did not tell | — | — | — | — | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Eating at the landfill site | Yes | 77 (67.54) | 33 (68.75) | 11 (68.75) | 33 (66) | 0.954 | No | 37 (32.46) | 15 (31.25) | 5 (31.25) | 17 (34) | | Did not tell | — | — | — | — | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Landfill site safety | Yes | 79 (69.30) | 39 (81.25) | 3 (18.75) | 37 (74) | ≤0.001 | No | 35 (30.70) | 9 (18.75) | 13 (81.25) | 13 (26) | | Did not tell | — | — | — | — | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Infectious diseases | Yes | 2 (1.75) | — | — | 2 (4) | 0.261 | No | 108 (94.74) | 48 (100) | 15 (93.75) | 45 (90) | | Did not tell | 4 (3.51) | — | 1 (6.25) | 3 (6) | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | | Chronic diseases | Yes | 1 (0.88) | — | — | 1 (2) | 0.518 | No | 111 (97.37) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 47 (94) | | Did not tell | 2 (1.75) | — | — | 2 (4) | | Total | 114 (100) | 48 (100) | 16 (100) | 50 (100) | |
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