Occupation-related morbidities and their determinants among security guards in southern India

Security guards working in the health sector are vulnerable to various occupational health problems and face physical violence from patients and their bystanders. Objectives: To identify various occupational health problems and their determinants among security guards.

This cross-sectional study was performed at various institutions affiliated with a private medical college in Mangalore. Data were collected by interviewing 157 participants. The Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, unpaired t test, and binary logistic regression analysis were used to test associations.

The mean age of the security guards was 41(SD=8.6) years. The median work experience was 10 years (IQR 6, 13). A total of 119(75.8%) of them were either overweight or obese. A total of 105(66.9%) of them did not exercise every day. 47(29.9%) did not drink sufficient water daily. Thirty-eight (24.2%) of them had inadequate sleep duration per day. Among the morbidities, heat exhaustion [83(52.9%)], lower backache [42(26.7%)], and dehydration [41(26.1%)] were the most common. Symptoms suggestive of sciatica were present in 14(8.9%) participants. Sleep deprivation was significantly present among those security guards on shift duty or doing only night duty (P=0.023). Symptoms suggestive of sciatica were present significantly more often among those who performed duties mostly in a sitting position (P=0.05).

Most of the security guards were either overweight or obese, and the majority did not exercise every day. Approximately one-fourth of them did not drink adequate water per day and did not have sufficient sleep per day. Morbidities such as sleep deprivation and sciatica were associated with shift patterns and work-related postures, respectively, among the participants.