Trabalhadores do setor de rochas ornamentais : vida, trabalho, saúde e acesso aos serviços de saúde

Abstract

Health-disease process of a given population is socially determined; employment status exerts great influence over the morbidity-mortality profile of individuals. Objectives: This study aims to elucidate work conditions, health profile and access to health services as referred by workers of the ornamental rocks mining industry from Itaóca Pedra – Cachoeiro do Itapemirim / ES. Methods: This is a quantitative, descriptive, cross sectional study with a sample of workers from the ornamental rocks mining industry. Data was collected through the application of a four stage questionnaire at sample’s individual’s homes; the four stages were: sociodemographic characterization of individuals and homes, referred morbidity and access to health services, lifestyle, referred employment status and work shifts. 187 workers were randomly drawn from the Rock Mining Industry Workers Union database to compose the study’s sample; minimum sample size was calculated for this. Information was organized and analyzed using descriptive methods and through analytical statistics the relationship between variables was determined. Results: Among all aspects approached by this study, the great percentage of workers who referred having any sort of sign or symptom over the previous 15 days and latest 12 months (45.5% and 44.9% respectively) should be highlighted for its magnitude. Also, the percentage of workers who referred ever being involved in work accidents (49.2%) was alarming. Acute morbidities led workers more often to seek health care in emergency rooms while chronic morbidities were more often treated by private health care professionals. Conclusions: High percentages of referred morbidities expose how critical the health status of the studied workers is. It becomes even more serious if related to their poor concept of health as being solely aptitude for work; this concept indirectly reveals inadequate work conditions experienced by these, therefore legitimizing the observed profile. Also, the public basic care unit of this district is not considered a reference for health care by these workers.