Work ability of Chinese migrant workers: the influence of migration characteristics

BMC Public Health

Li Ling²  Liming Lu²  Leiyu Shi¹  Lu Han² 

[1]Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

[2]Sun Yat-sen Center for Migrant Health Policy, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510405, China

关键词: Occupational health and safety;    Work ability;    Chinese migrant workers;   

Others  :  1131568
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-14-353

 received in 2013-12-13, accepted in 2014-04-04,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Migrant workers have become a vital labor supply to China’s economy. Their migration process and work conditions may influence their health and work ability. The work ability of migrant workers in China and the influence of the migration process on work ability have not been explored extensively in previous studies. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association of migration characteristics and work-related factors with work ability among migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta.

Methods

In this cross-sectional survey, the study population consisted of 907 migrant workers from ten factories in the Pearl River Delta who were exposed to organic solvents during work. The primary dependent variable of the study was work ability, measured by the Work Ability Index (WAI). The independent variables were individual characteristics, migration characteristics, and work-related factors. Logistic regression models were used to determine the influence of different factors on work ability and three dimensions of WAI.

Results

The result shows that among migration characteristics, social support was significantly associated with all three dimensions of the work ability index. Permanent migration intention and longer length of migration were negatively associated with the mental resource dimension of WAI. WAI was also influenced by individual and work-related factors.

Conclusions

The findings of this study suggest that expanding migrants’ social networks and social support systems in their work place or living community, (i.e. expanding the functions of labor unions) would be an effective way to improve migrant workers’ work ability. Improving of migrant workers’ physical and psychosocial related work environments would also increase their work ability.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Han et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

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