Haemoglobin, BMI and productivity of apparel factory workers

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Apparel exports bring the largest amount of foreign exchange in to the country. Thus the productivity of the apparel sector is an important factor in the -economic development of Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is paramount to identify factors associated with productivity in this sector. Previous studies in the plantation sector have shown a significant correlation of productivity with haemoglobin levels. Thus the objective of this study was to determine the association of haemoglobin levels and BMI with the productivity. METHODS: A cross sectional analytical study was performed on 148 women workers from an apparel factory. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Height, weight, haemoglobin and blood pressure were measured. A star score system (ranging from 1 to 4) used by the management was taken as the measure of productivity. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 32. 1 years (SD = 8.9). The mean haemoglobin level was 12.24 g/dL (SD: 1.13). 18.9% of participants were anaemic (Haemoglobin< 11.5g/dL). Anaemia was associated with low productivity (OR= 3.0; p-value = 0.01). Mean BMI was 24.36 kg/m2 (SD= 5.84). 21.1% of the participants were below 18.5kg/m2 suggesting chronic energy deficiency. 23.8% of the participants were overweight and 14.3% had obesity. No significant association was found between BMI and productivity (p-value = 0.54). CONCLUSION: Prevalence of anaemia was lower in this population compared to the non-pregnant women of the general population. There was a significant association between anaemia and low productivity.