Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Difference of Gender on Adverse Mental Health and Associated Factors in Waste Workers in Brasília, Brazil in the Context of the Pandemic

Jefferson Santos
,
Tara Zolnikov
ORCID logo ,
Ana Carolina Martins
,
Dayani Galato
,
Giullia Couto
,
Josenaide Santos
,
Max Oliveira
,
Vanessa Cruvinel
*
Version 1 : Received: 12 June 2023 / Approved: 21 June 2023 / Online: 21 June 2023 (03:51:19 CEST)

How to cite: Santos, J.; Zolnikov, T.; Martins, A.C.; Galato, D.; Couto, G.; Santos, J.; Oliveira, M.; Cruvinel, V. Difference of Gender on Adverse Mental Health and Associated Factors in Waste Workers in Brasília, Brazil in the Context of the Pandemic. Preprints 2023, 2023061470. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.1470.v1 Santos, J.; Zolnikov, T.; Martins, A.C.; Galato, D.; Couto, G.; Santos, J.; Oliveira, M.; Cruvinel, V. Difference of Gender on Adverse Mental Health and Associated Factors in Waste Workers in Brasília, Brazil in the Context of the Pandemic. Preprints 2023, 2023061470. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.1470.v1

Abstract

The pandemic of Covid-19 has contributed to the increase of the number of cases of anxiety, depression, and stress, especially in vulnerable workers. The objective of this study was to analyze factors associated with mental health of waste pickers and street sweepers in Brasília, Brazil, during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a cross-sectional cohort study with a quantitative approach. SRQ-20 test was used to assess mental health. The study sample included 886 workers: 601 street sweepers and 285 waste pickers. Of the total, 71 workers (8.0%) had SRQ-20 ≥ 7, which is equivalent to adverse mental health. The characteristics associated with adverse mental health were women (PR: 3.36; 95%CI:1.86;6.08), worker between 18-39 years old (PR: 2.19; 95% CI 1.32;3.65), waste pickers (PR: 1.65; 95%CI:1.01;2.70), worker who reported two (PR: 3.24; 95%CI:1.72; 6.12), three or more (PR: 4.73; 95%CI:2.40;9.32) health problems. For the symptoms, 17.05% of the people interviewed said they felt sad and 18.25% nervous, tense, and worried. Female waste pickers, young adults, with many health problems were more susceptible to adverse mental health and it doesn't just affect them, but also their families. Public policies are needed to protect these professionals so that they can work safely and establish early interventions to maintain these workers' mental integrity.

Keywords

Covid-19; Waste pickers; Street sweepers; Occupational Health; Mental Health

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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