Differences in Workplace Risk Perception between Foreign-Born and First-Generation Mexican American Construction Workers.

Gabriel Ibarra-Mejía,María Marisela Vargas-Salgado,Karla Gabriela Gómez-Bull

doi:10.3390/ijerph18115652

Abstract

Risk perception is used to quantify risks in the industry and is influenced by different socio-demographic variables. This work aims to determine significant differences in the risk perception between Mexican American migrants and first-generation Mexican American construction workers. This study used a sample of 112 construction workers. A guided questionnaire was applied to collect socio-demographic information. For workplace risk behaviors, we used a 21-item questionnaire adapted from the previous instrument. Each question asked the participant’s perception of the frequency with which they carried out risky activities during routine work activities and the severity of the possible injuries, using a five-level Likert scale. Then, an inferential analysis was carried out using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The main results highlight that time of residence in the United States had a significant influence (p = 0.012) on risk perception in the surveyed construction workers. On the other hand, the age and time they have been working for the organization did not significantly influence risk perception. Finally, risk perception can vary in construction workers according to different variables. It is essential to investigate the factors that influence it, to prevent risky behaviors that can lead to accidents.

Highlights

Within the construction industry research community, there is agreement that construction work is, first, one of the largest industries in the United States, and second, one of the most dangerous and indicative of a deteriorating situation of the construction industry [1].Accidents in this field are associated with the site layout, materials, tools and equipment, and trade workforces that make up a volatile site environment [2]
Based on the assumption that risk perception is a determinant to a person’s health behaviors [31,32], we studied the differences in workplace risk perception and risk behavior between two groups of construction workers of Mexican origin—one group of Mexican American migrants and first-generation Mexican Americans
The sample of construction workers for this study showed that age and time working for the company did not influence risk perception

Summary

Introduction

Within the construction industry research community, there is agreement that construction work is, first, one of the largest industries in the United States, and second, one of the most dangerous and indicative of a deteriorating situation of the construction industry [1]. Accidents in this field are associated with the site layout, materials, tools and equipment, and trade workforces that make up a volatile site environment [2]. Workers in the construction industry account for about six to eight percent of all workers, and injuries and deaths are not uncommon. Studies examine the factors underlying why construction is the industry with the highest rate of occupational injuries continues to date

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