An Assessment of the Needs and the Affecting Factors for Small Scale Enterprise Worker's Health Centers / 대한산업의학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to assess the needs and roles of the Worker's Health Centers employed by small scale enterprises by investigating the requested services made to this type of Worker's Health Center. METHODS: The population of this research was taken from 1,145 business owners or managers of manufacturing companies employing less than fifty people in six industrial estates. Stratified sampling was used. Individual interviews were performed to assess the conditions and needs of these enterprises using a structured questionnaire and professional interviewers. RESULTS: According to the questionnaire survey, 941(82.2%) of the enterprises wish to use a Worker's Health Center. 946(83.3%) of the enterprises preferred an 'Expert visit to the enterprise or mixed' for the Delivery type. 486(42.4%) of the enterprises preferred the 'in the center of industrial complex' for the location of the Worker's Health Center. 789(69.1%) of the enterprises preferred 6-10 PM for the available open hours. A multiple regression analysis revealed a significantly positive association regarding the intention of using a Worker's Health Center and the Gyeonggi-Banwol (OR 2.49) or Gwangju-Hanam(OR 4.24) for the region. Compared to enterprises employing 1-4 worker, 30-49 worker enterprises show a 3.33 fold preference (95% CI 1.80~6.12) for the use of a Worker's Health Center. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, the intention regarding the use of a Worker's Health Center was high, Considering the time and spatial limits inherentin small scale enterprises, the 'expert visit to the enterprise' paradigm is important. It should be noted that when providing the service, a customized approach is necessary, determined by size, region, industry, and scale of the business, through the assessment of the small scale enterprises and the nature of the work environment when designing a Worker's Health Center operation.