National survey on identifying vulnerable workers andavailability of occupational health services in theRepublic of Macedonia

摘要

Objective: In order to identify vulnerable groups and high risk sectors which are at greater need of basic occupa-tional health services, we performed a questionnaire-based study including, as key informants, different stakehold-ers and key players in the process of improving health and safety at work. Methods: The Institute of OccupationalHealth of Macedonia developed an specially designed questionnaire in collaboration with the WHO Regional Of-fice for Europe. Vulnerable groups/sectors include: unemployed, female workers, workers aged under 18 years, work-ers aged over 55 years and workers in the informal sector, construction industry, textile industry, agriculture, andthe health care workers, the Likert scale method was used to evaluate most of the questions in the questionnaire, andthe study subjects were instructed to give their professional opinion in completing the questionnaire. Results: Allexamined groups/sectors were judged to have high risk for occupationally related health problems by over 70% of theresponders. Aging workers and workers in agriculture and in the construction industry were judged to have thehighest risk for such problems, as well as low health status. All examined groups/sectors were judged to have goodavailability of primary health care services, while agriculture, unemployed, the informal sector and young workerswere judged as having poor availability of occupational health services. Conclusion: The provision of Basic Occu-pational Health Services (BOHS) incorporated in the framework of primary health care via the public health ap-proach was judged as a good concept for Macedonia.