title: Work and health in Latin America: results from the working conditions surveys of Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Central America and Uruguay.
abstract: To describe working and employment conditions, and health status between non-agricultural employees with a written contract from Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Central America and Uruguay.
  
  
  
  We compared data from the first working condition surveys (WCS) of Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Central America and Uruguay. For comparative purposes, we selected a subsample of 15 241 non-agricultural employees aged 18-64 years and working with a written contract. We calculated prevalences and 95% CIs for the selected variables on working and employment conditions, and health status, separated by sex.
  
  
  
  Across all countries, at least 40% of women and 58% of men worked >40 hours a week. The most prevalent exposures were repetitive movements, followed by noise and manual handling, especially among men. Psychosocial exposures were very common among both sexes. Workers in Chile (33.4% of women and 16.6% of men) and Central America (24.3% of women and 19.1% of men) were more likely to report poor self-perceived health and were least likely to do so in Colombia (5.5% of women and 4.2% of men). The percentage of workers reporting occupational injuries was <10% across all countries.
  
  
  
  This study provides, for the first time, a broad picture of work and health in different Latin American countries, based on the national WCSs available. This allows for a better understanding of occupational health and could serve as a baseline for future research and surveillance of work and health in the Region. However, greater efforts are needed to improve WCSs comparability.
authors.affiliation: CISAL (Center for Research in Occupational Health), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.|IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain.|Facultad de Ciencias del Trabajo y Comportamiento Humano, Universidad Internacional SEK, Quito, Ecuador.|Secretaría Nacional de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Quito, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3796-4706
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merino-Salazar
authors.affiliation: Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Spain.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Artazcoz
authors.affiliation: Superintendencia de Riesgos del Trabajo, Ministerio de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad Social, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cornelio
authors.affiliation: Superintendencia de Riesgos del Trabajo, Ministerio de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad Social, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María José Itatí
authors.initials: MJI
authors.lastname: Iñiguez
authors.affiliation: Programa Salud, Trabajo y Ambiente (SALTRA), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Marianela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martínez-Iñigo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.|CEDEUS, Conicyt-Fondap; ACCDiS, Conicyt-Fondap, Chile.
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vives
authors.affiliation: Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Funcasta
authors.affiliation: CISAL (Center for Research in Occupational Health), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.|IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Benavides
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002489:Central America / Q000453:epidemiology; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014583:Uruguay / Q000453:epidemiology; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult