Prevalence of work-related injuries and associated factors among municipal solid waste collectors in Hawassa City, Sidama, Ethiopia 2023

Work-related injury is one of the most complex public health challenges globally. Rapid population growth and development in Hawassa City have resulted in increased solid waste generation, a growing complexity of waste with an increasing number of waste collectors, and mounting risks. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of work-related injuries among solid waste collectors in Hawassa City, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia, in 2023. A cross-sectional design was employed with 240 waste collectors using simple random sampling. Data were collected using the Open Data Kit and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted, and associations were determined using odds ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and a significance level of 0.05. The 240 waste collectors, 237 (98.8%) participated in this study. Among them, 104 (43.9%, 95% CI: 37.5-50.3) reported work-related injuries. Factors such as work duty as a recycler (AOR = 6.64; 95% CI: (2.11 to 20.845)), manual handling of waste (AOR: 5.187; 95% CI (2.23 to 12.04)), receiving first occupational health training ((AOR: 3.449; 95% CI (1.328 to 8.96)), on-the-job training (AOR = 7.826; 95% CI (3.08 to 19.839)), and the use of modern waste handling equipment (AOR: 0.251; 95% CI, (0.071 to 0.893)) were found to be significant predictors of work-related injury. The prevalence of work-related injuries among municipal solid waste collectors in Hawassa City is high. Thus, we recommend that pre-employment and on-the-job training be provided to waste collectors, along with the regular provision of appropriate waste-handling equipment.