# Job specific health status of workers in ayurvedic pharmaceutical manufacturing units across Kerala: a cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study examines the health status of workers in Ayurvedic pharmaceutical units in Kerala, finding that physical and environmental job demands are linked to health issues.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on job-specific health risks in Ayurvedic pharmaceutical manufacturing units in Kerala.

## Key findings

- Physical and environmental health outcomes are strongly associated with job roles in Ayurvedic pharmaceutical units.
- Workers in production and raw material handling report higher prevalence of tiredness, skin allergies, and exposure to dust and heat.
- Mental health issues are evenly distributed across job roles and not significantly associated with specific tasks.

## Abstract

Workers in small and medium scale Ayurvedic pharmaceutical manufacturing units are exposed to various occupational hazards like heat, fumes, dust, noise, and strenuous physical activities due to reliance on traditional production methods. Evidence on job specific health risks in this sector remains limited. The objective of this study was to know the current health status of workers in Ayurvedic manufacturing units.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 152 workers employed in small and medium-scale Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industries across Kerala using a structured questionnaire of 25 items to assess their physical(13 items), mental(5 items) and environmental(7 items) health status. The data were collected by the principal investigator via face-to-face interview. Sociodemographic and occupational characteristics were also recorded. Association between health outcomes and job roles was analyzed using chi-square test.

Physical and environmental health outcomes showed strong association with job roles. Workers involved in production, packing, milling, grinding, and raw material store reported higher prevalence of tiredness, nasal complaints, skin allergy, body pain, prolonged standing or sitting, repetitive hand movements, heavy lifting and exposure to environmental conditions like dust, heat, noise, vibration, sunlight, and smoke. In contrast, mental health outcomes like perceived stress, difficulty in maintaining concentration, mood changes and sleep disturbances did not demonstrate significant association with job roles and were more evenly distributed among the workforces.

These findings demonstrate that task related ergonomic demand and environmental exposure are the primary drivers of occupational morbidity in an Ayurvedic pharmaceutical manufacturing unit. These findings also highlight the need for task specific ergonomic and environmental intervention to improve worker health and promote safer and more sustainable practices in Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industries.