Awareness and use of occupational health services in French deprived neighborhoods

Abstract Background Due to social inequality and spatial segregation, people living in deprived neighborhoods tend to suffer from a lack of access to health care in general and occupational health services in particular, even though they are employed in occupations that are more likely to be detrimental to their health and well-being. We aim to assess the awareness and utilization of occupational health services in deprived French neighborhoods. Methods In a participatory project involving an association whose salaried members reside in these neighborhoods, we conducted an innovative survey based on a door-to-door campaign in three neighborhoods in greater Paris in 2024. Data were collected through face-to-face questionnaires. The three primary outcomes were being aware of occupational medicine, ever having had an occupational health visit, and knowing how to declare a workplace accident. We further investigated their determinants using multivariate logistic regressions. Results The survey included 462 individuals, 53% of whom were women. Among the working population sub-sample, 17,3% had never heard of occupational health (64/370), 18,9% never had an occupational health visit (64/338 currently in activity), and 33,7% did not know how to declare a workplace accident (124/368). Preliminary results for all three outcomes show that individuals without stable housing (a proxy for the precariousness of living conditions), those who lack a neighborhood social network, and immigrants who live in France for less than 10 years had lower odds of awareness and use. Moreover, women, younger individuals, and individuals with lower formal education had lower odds of having heard of occupational health. Individuals working part-time were less likely to know how to declare a workplace accident. Conclusions Our findings support the implementation of community-based occupational health promotion interventions at the neighborhood level to reduce occupational health-related disparities in France. Key messages • A survey based on a door-to-door campaign in deprived neighborhoods in Greater Paris revealed a significant lack of awareness and use of occupational health services. • Our analysis of the factors associated reveals the need and relevance of implementing a community-based neighborhood-level occupational health promotion intervention with local residents.