Development of an innovative index to assess worker’s health risk: the WHRI applied to an oil industry in Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess the worker’s health (WH) risk, focused on sustainable development in a work context and based on the development and application of the Worker’s Health Risk Index (WHRI) in the oil extraction and production industry in Bahia, Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: The sample, obtained by quota sampling, comprised 965 participants. The development stage integrated a group of 10 specialists, including physicians, nurses, nutritionists, dentists and physical educators, all specialists in the WH area, as well as 3 experts in the area of data science. Three risk ranges were defined: "Low", "Moderate" and "High". Findings: The WHRI validation revealed reliability and reproducibility, as well as the ability to identify differences among the population studied according to sex, age group and education level. The results indicate that the WH risk is higher in men, aged above 50 years old and with a low level of education (p < 0.001). 74% of the participants are in the "Low", 21% in the "Moderate" and 5% in the "High" risk ranges. High-risk workers are also those with diabetes mellitus, altered triglyceride or glycemia levels, hypertension, poor oral hygiene and periodontal conditions, tobacco use, low levels of physical activity (all with p < 0.05), or alcohol abuse. Originality/Value: The WHRI’s major contribution is to make available a useful tool for the identification of WH risk, helping to define clearer health promotion, prevention and intervention policies in the context of WH.