Work conditions and health problems of female traders in Ibadan, Nigeria

This descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among all the female traders in Sango market, Ibadan in, April 2003. The aim of the study was to identify the common health problems of women traders in Sango and their work conditions. The most commonly reported health problems were muscular and joint pains by 105 (37.4%), 95 (33.8%) had symptoms suggestive of malaria and 66 (23.5%) had chronic low back pain. The prevalence of muscular and joint pain was highest among respondents aged > 60yrs (p=0.023), and among those who spent eight to ten hours per day in the market (p=0.200). On examination 56 (19.9%) were hypertensive, 88 (31.3%) and 97 (16.7%) were overweight and obese respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was associated with increasing age and obesity (p=0.000). The common health problems among these female traders were muscular and joint pain, symptoms suggestive of malaria, chronic low back pain and hypertension. It is recommended that appropriate health interventions be instituted to address these problems.