Awareness and Experience of Occupational Hazards among Hairdressers in Umuahia Metropolis, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study sought to determine the level of awareness of beauty salon workers regarding their occupational hazards, the prevalence of experiencing the hazards, and the preventive measures they take. The study employed the cross-sectional survey design and was guided by five research questions. The sample was 188 salon workers selected from 80 salons within Umuahia metropolis. The data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using frequency tables, percentages, and weighted means. Two academics validated the questionnaire, one in the Home Economics unit of the Department of Vocational Education and one from the Measurement and Evaluation unit of the Department of Psychological Foundations of the Abia State University, Uturu. A Cronbach’s alpha reliability score of 0.84 was obtained. The results showed a high level (3.04) of awareness of the hazards associated with hairdressing occupation. The hairdressers also reported experiencing a feeling of tightness in the chest (46.3%), sneezing (67.6%), and itchy or runny eyes (58%) because of exposure to hair care chemicals. Other hazards they experienced were musculoskeletal
problems such as neck pain (73.4%), back pain (76.1%), and shoulder pain (64.9%) because of long hours of poor work posture. The result further showed that the use of preventive measures was poor (21.56%) It was recommended among others that local and national health agencies should create more awareness among hairdressers about these hazards and how to prevent them. They should also be enlightened about managing and improving their work environment.