Survey of General Health of Shift Workers of Tehran Tunnel Construction Using GHQ Questionnaire

Background & objectives: The increase in the metropolitan population and, consequently, the increase in traffic, the urgent need to reduce pollution and traffic, and so on, have led to the expansion of the metro lines. In this regard, it is important to survey the physical and mental health of workers in these fields, because of its impact on their behavior, performance and productivity. Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study with the 176 shift workers in a tunneling workshop with a mean age of 28.7±4.8. A general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) was used to assess the general health status of these workers and demographic and occupational information were added to collect the required data. The total cut-off point was 22 and a score of 6 was considered for each scale. As a result, score above 6 on each scale and a total score above 22 on all four scales indicate the presence of disease symptoms in individuals. The results were tested by three statistical tests of independent t-test, one-way ANOVA and correlation test, using SPSS-21 software. Results: The results showed that according to the cut-off point, the prevalence of physical symptoms was 37%, anxiety and insomnia 24%, social dysfunction 57% and severe depression 11% and in total, 51% of workers had mental disorders. The factors of marriage/Single ( p <0.03), Native/non-native ( p <0.02), distance to home ( p <0.001), level of education ( p <0.03), work experience ( p <0.05), Job scheduling ( p <0.001), and job satisfaction ( p <0.001), all had a significant effect on general health. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that improving the working conditions of workers in tunnel construction operations such as providing job security, improving job satisfaction, modifying the work schedule especially eliminating permanent overnight work, continuing education and marriage is necessary.