ISSN: 2577-2953
Authors: Singh LP*
Background: Among the 11 million cases of occupational diseases globally, 1.9 (17%) million cases are contributed by India. Most studies on occupational health in India are done in industrial settings, whereas few studies have looked into other occupational groups. Police personnel by nature of their job are continuously exposed to toxic pollutants, noise from automobiles and long working hours of standing, poor posture, poor work centre design etc. throughout their job. This study aimed to investigate the occupationally induced health problems (respiratory problems, musculoskeletal and hearing problems) among police personnel in Jalandhar city and to find out the factors associated with them. Methodology: Quantitative research model in the form of prospective type survey design was selected for this study. Total 160 subjects were selected from Police department of Jalandhar City based on non-probability convenience sampling. Data was collected using questionnaire including questions on respiratory problems, low back pain and noise induced hearing loss respectively. Descriptive statistic and chi square was used for data analysis. Results: The prevalence of overall respiratory problems, low back pain, and noise induced hearing loss was 64%, 68% and 46% respectively. Work related factors like number of service years, type of duty, posting location, nature of shift, working hours near roadside per day were significantly associated with the outcome. Lack of proper use of protective aids (face masks, hearing aids) contributes to respiratory and hearing problems. Improper design of car seat, duty belt, improper posture and driving also contributes in low back pain. Conclusion: Police personnel have significantly higher prevalence of occupational health problems. They should be educated on ergonomics, posture, working hour breaks in between work, use of protective aids to improve healthy life and performance in duty.
Keywords: Respiratory problems; Low back pain; Noise induced hearing loss; Police personnel
