Occupational health risks and their determinants among workers in the tannery industry of Mojo, Ethiopia

Abstract

Workers’ health has been recognized as a potential risk in the ambient workplace. Investigating health burden and exposure drivers for targeted occupational health intervention in high-risk industries. This study analyzed the prevalence and the underpinning drivers of cumulative occupational morbidity in Mojo, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional design was employed using a stratified multistage sampling technique. Data were collected from 372 tannery employees using structured questionnaires and supplemented by key informant interviews. Occupational morbidity was measured as a self-reported count of illness episodes among experienced personnel, serving as the discrete dependent variable for the regression analysis. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and negative binomial regression. The result revealed that employees working in traditional tanneries experienced significantly higher rates of disease compared to those in modern facilities (IRR ≈ 1.33). Male workers had a 36% lower rate of reported symptoms than females (IRR ≈ 0.64), and increasing age was associated with a slight rise in illness frequency (IRR ≈ 1.02). Laborers (IRR ≈ 1.30) and supervisors (IRR ≈ 2.56) reported substantially higher illness rates than chemical handlers. In contrast, having 7–8 h of sleep (IRR ≈ 0.39), regular use of protective equipment (IRR ≈ 0.83), and having good knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of occupational health and safety (IRR ≈ 0.43) were associated with a reduced frequency of disease in their lifetime. The frequency of reported symptoms was significantly associated with work environment, behavioral factors, and occupational health knowledge. These findings highlight critical intervention points, including improving safety standards in traditional tanneries and promoting protective behaviors, to reduce the occupational health burden in this sector.