Monitoring Self-Perceived Occupational Health Inequities in Central America, 2011 and 2018

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• Health Equity Research

Background:

• Analyzing trends in occupational health inequity is crucial for understanding worker well-being.
• Central America faces unique challenges in addressing health disparities among its workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine changes in occupational health inequity from 2011 to 2018 among Central American workers.
• To identify key factors contributing to persistent health disparities in the region's workforce.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Central America Working Conditions Surveys (2011 and 2018) involving over 21,000 workers.
• Employed absolute and relative population attributable risks and the weighted Keppel index to quantify health inequity gaps.
• Conducted stratified analyses by gender to explore differential impacts.

Main Results:

• A decrease in poor self-perceived health was observed for both women and men between 2011 and 2018.
• Despite overall health improvements, substantial health inequity gaps remained across all stratifiers.
• Health inequity gaps, measured by the Keppel index, notably increased between countries for both women and men.

Conclusions:

• While general health among Central American workers improved, significant health inequities persist.
• Health inequity gaps were more pronounced between countries than across gender, age, occupation, or education levels.
• This study provides a foundational benchmark for evaluating public health policies aimed at reducing occupational health disparities in Central America.