Reducing urinary tract infections among female clean room workers.
OBJECTIVE
A higher prevalence of urinary tract infection (UTI) was observed among clean room workers than among others in our previous study in 2001. We implemented intervention programs for reducing UTI and evaluated their effects 2 years later.


METHODS
We conducted an intervention study in four factories in the industrial park where the previous study was conducted and recruited participants from women workers who received annual health examinations at the clinic of the park. The intervention included health education programs during the new employee orientation and seasonal on-the-job training. We also implemented other measures, including placing posters in the workplace and disseminating knowledge of UTI prevention through e-mail and oral communications. One-on-one education was provided to workers who were found to have UTI in the previous study.


RESULTS
All the 1666 qualified workers, including 1414 clean room workers and 252 nonclean room workers, agreed to participate. We found a similar prevalence (both 0.8%) of symptomatic UTIs (patients with clinical symptoms, such as voiding frequency, urgency, and burning sensation during voiding) in clean room and nonclean room workers. In the 366 participants who also participated in the previous study, we found a significant decrease in the prevalence of UTI (from 9.8% to 1.6%) and significant increases in the prevalence of water intake and urine voiding, three times or more during a shift (p < 0.001 for all McNemar tests).


CONCLUSIONS
The interventions had achieved behavior modification and decreases in the prevalence of UTI.
Su
Shih-Bin
SB
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Medical College, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan., Tainan Science-Based Industrial Park Clinic Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
Wang
Jiang-Nan
JN
Lu
Chih-Wei
CW
Guo
How-Ran
HR
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016387:Women's Health; D014931:Women, Working / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*