Health Status of Female Carpet Weavers in Home-based workshops; Mashgin-Shahr Villages

Abstract Background: Carpet weavers are susceptible to various health problems due to their workplace and working conditions. The present study was conducted to assess the morbidity profile of female carpet weavers. Methodology: This present descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted in rural carpet weaving workshops in the city of Mashgin-Shahr, Iran. The study population consisted of female workers with a minimum of one-year work experience in carpet weaving workshops. A questionnaire comprising personal details, a body map questionnaire, and the disease history section of the NIOSH questionnaire was used to collect the required data. The obtained data were entered into SPSS-24 software and analyzed statistically using t-test, ANOVA, and the Chi-square test. A p-value of 0.05 was considered the level of significance. Results: The mean age of carpet weavers was 31.7±7.9 years, and their average working experience was 12.8±7.9 years. They worked in sitting posture for an average of 7.6 hours per day. 55% of weavers had a history of a specific disease, and 83.3% of them did not take any medication. Musculoskeletal problems were the most common issues among 201 (83.5%) study participants. Other common diseases included hand skin problems (35.8%), Joint pain (24.6%), vision problems (17.1%), headache (16.2%), anemia (10%), and emotional problems (6.7%). Conclusion: The present study found that 55% of carpet weavers had a history of a specific disease. Understanding these disorders is crucial for developing strategies to improve the health these weavers. The findings can also guide public health practitioners and educators in identifying at risk individuals and designing targeted health strategies.