Perceptions of working and living conditions among industrial male and female workers in Perú.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To further investigate Peruvian blue collar workers' perceptions of their conditions of work and find out relationships between these conditions and overall worker well being. METHODS: A survey study conducted on-the-job via a self-administered questionnaire translated into Spanish. Main study variables included work satisfaction, self-reported health status, musculoskeletal pain, and mental distress symptoms. Working conditions and extra-organizational factors were included in this multilevel assessment using multiple regression analyses. PARTICIPANTS: Blue collar workers from the formal manufacturing sector in Lima, Perú. RESULTS: A total of 305 women and 761 men completed the questionnaires. Female and male perceptions of their work environment differed significantly in magnitude and occasionally in direction. Among women, the extra-organizational factors played a key role in perceived mental distress. For men, task and organizational aspects together with the extra-organizational factors were important correlates of life and work satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of higher strain due to work plus extra-organizational factors for women is an important finding in this study and is critical for developing ideas about interventions in IDCs. Inclusion of extra-organizational factors contributed to a better understanding of workers' job satisfaction and health.