General Health status of workers among different workplaces in Qom Province, Iran

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In a healthy organization, psychological health and physical health are as important as production and productivity; and healthy workers have higher productivity. Regarding lack of information about workers' general health profile in Qom Province, this study aimed to assess and compare the staffs' general health and its components among different workplaces in 2014.METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 2,276 employees working at 46 industries and organizations completed a standardized General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 28) and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient by IBM SPSS version 20.RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 32.22 (±7.55) years. Seventy-nine point four percent of participants were married and the rest were single. Highest and lowest scores belonged to social dysfunction and depression, respectively. Also, total score of staffs' general health was 17.87 ± 10.93. The results showed that, in spite of the non-relationship between general health score difference among married and single personnel (p > 0.05), there was a significant difference between men and women and among organizations and industries with regards to general health score (p < 0.05), and drivers had the most difference with others. The relationship between workers' ages and GH was significant (p < 0.05, Pearson's bivariate correlation coefficient = -0.05).CONCLUSION: The findings of this study collectively indicated that participants had an acceptable condition for mental factors, such as depression, but not in viewpoints of social dysfunction. In other words, staffs' interfaces with circumstances and personal innovation/creativity in the workplaces are at risk. Altogether, the general health score in the studied population was suitable in its entirety.