Factors Associated with Prevalence of Occupational Injuries among Workers in Informal Recycling Businesses at Kiteezi Landfill Wakiso District, Uganda

Abstract

There is increasing global concern on the prevalence of occupational injuries among workers in informal recycling in developing countries and especially those in sub-sahara Africa. This is arising due partly to the poor methods of waste management. This was observed in the eastern African countries and in particular in Uganda. The study focused on the Kiteezi Land fill site in Wakiso District central Uganda, and investigated the prevalence of occupational injuries among workers in informal recycling businesses, the factors (individual and institutional) influencing the prevalence of these injuries and the association between these factors. The study employed quantitative research approach using a cross-sectional research design, and collected data from 112 participants who were selected by stratified sampling technique. This data was collected using structured questionnaire and was analyzed at univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels. The results show that the prevalence of occupational injuries was 55.4% and the only significant factor was accessibility to sanitation facilities (AOR= 0.38; 95%CI: 0.16-0.94, P = 0.05). There is therefore a high prevalence of occupational injuries among workers in this informal recycling unit which if not addressed will inevitably contribute to the increase of the disease burden in the country. This study therefore strongly recommends the need for not only education and awareness for the workers but also provision of all the essential personal protective equipment and processes and relevant accessible sanitary facilities.