Evaluation of Health Issues and Satisfaction with Health Services among Welding Workers in Al-Diwaniya Province
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
Published
Oct 27, 2025
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
Abstract
Objectives: Evaluation of Health Issues and Satisfaction with Health Services among Welding Workers in Al-Diwaniya Province. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, targeting 291 male welders selected via simple random sampling from ten industrial zones. Data were collected between September 2024 and February 2025 through structured interviews based on WHO standards. Results: This study indicated that eye problems (65.3%), musculoskeletal disorders (58.4%), and respiratory issues (43.6%) were the most frequently reported health concerns. Statistically significant associations were found between certain health problems and demographic variables such as age, marital status, and smoking (p < 0.05). Despite the high burden of work-related illnesses, only 22.3% of welders had sought medical attention for occupational injuries. Satisfaction with health services was moderate, with 52.3% of participants expressing general satisfaction, although key concerns included service accessibility, long waiting times, and limited technical competency among providers. No significant associations were found between satisfaction and demographic characteristics. Conclusion: Welders in Al-Diwaniya are subject to serious occupational hazards, worsened by insufficient health service utilization and limited preventive measures. These findings underscore the need for enhanced occupational health regulations, regular risk assessments, improved access to healthcare, and increased awareness campaigns to protect vulnerable labor groups in high-exposure industries.
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
Keywords
References
1. Li Y, Liu W, Chen Z, Jiang L, Ye P. A novel approach for occupational health risk assessment and its application to the welding project. J Clean Prod. 2022;378:134590.
2. Bassey MO, Offiong U, Ikpe AE. Finite element simulation for thermo-mechanical transient behavior of mild steel plate agglutinated by gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) technique. J Mater Eng Struct Comput. 2023;2(3):71–91.
3. Ogbonna OS, Akinlabi SA, Madushele N, Mashinini PM, Abioye AA. Application of MIG and TIG welding in automobile industry. In: Journal of Physics: Conference Series. IOP Publishing; 2019. p. 42065.
4. Bakri SFZ, Hariri A, Ismail M. Occupational health risk assessment of inhalation exposure to welding fumes. Int J. 2020;8(1.2).
5. Niebuhr E, Stern RM, Thomsen E, Wulf HC. Genotoxicity of nickel welding fumes assayed with sister chromatid exchange in human-blood cells in culture. In: Annals of clinical and laboratory science. Inst clinical science inc 1833 delancey place, philadelphia, pa 19103; 1981. p. 85–6.
6. Antonini JM. Health effects of welding. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2003;33(1):61–103.
7. Smargiassi A, Baldwin M, Savard S, Kennedy G, Mergler D, Zayed J. Assessment of exposure to manganese in welding operations during the assembly of heavy excavation machinery accessories. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 2000;15(10):746–50.
8. Cloe WW. Selected Occupational Fatalities Related to Welding and Cutting as Found in Reports of OSHA Facility/catastrophe Investigations. US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration; 1988.
9. Spear JE. Welding Safety: Assessing and Controlling Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium. Prof Saf. 2010;55(09):22–31.
10. Stephenson D, Seshadri G, Veranth JM. Workplace exposure to submicron particle mass and number concentrations from manual arc welding of carbon steel. AIHA J. 2003;64(4):516–21.
11. Atukunda I, Lusobya RC, Ali SH, Mukisa J, Otiti-Sengeri J, Ateenyi-Agaba C. Prevalence, pattern and factors associated with ocular disorders in small-scale welders in Katwe, Kampala. BMC Ophthalmol. 2019;19:1–8.
12. Oluwole I, Nwanna K, Afolabi KK, Ademola SA, Aremu AB, Mujeeb S. Determinants of compliance with the occupational health and safety practices among metal welders in Jinja municipality-Jinja district Uganda. OIMICS International; 2018.
13. Alexander V, Sindhu KNC, Zechariah P, Resu AV, Nair SR, Kattula D, et al. Occupational safety measures and morbidity among welders in Vellore, Southern India. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2016;22(4):300–6.
14. Riccelli MG, Goldoni M, Poli D, Mozzoni P, Cavallo D, Corradi M. Welding fumes, a risk factor for lung diseases. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(7):2552.
15. Tagurum YO, Gwomson MD, Yakubu PM, Igbita JA, Chingle MP, Chirdan OO. Awareness of occupational hazards and utilization of PPE amongst welders in Jos metropolis, Nigeria. Int J Res Med Sci. 2018;6(7):2227–33.
16. Wanjari MB, Wankhede P. Occupational hazards associated with welding work that influence health status of welders. Int J Curr Res Rev. 2020;12(23):51–5.
17. Jbara AA, Abed ND, Mohammed SAJ. Evaluation of Health Risks in the Blood Serum of People Working in the Welding Industry as a Result of Exposure to Heavy Metals in Diyala Governorate/Iraq. Procedia Eng Life Sci. 2024;5:730–7.
18. Atiya LR, Abdulhay HS. The accumulation of some heavy metals in the welders blood. Env Heal. 2022;206:517–29.
19. Obayes KH. Estimation of Soil Contamination with Heavy Metals in the Streets of Al-Diwaniyah City in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate, Iraq. Nat Environ Pollut Technol. 2022;21(5):2241–8.
20. Ghauri S, Ayub N. A Pathway to Identify Employability Skills of Business Graduates Based on Subject Specialization. KASBIT Bus J. 2021;14(3).
21. Abalkhail A, Kabir R, Elmosaad YM, Alwashmi AS, Alhumaydhi FA, Alslamah T, et al. Needlestick and sharp injuries among hospital healthcare workers: an infection control challenge in Saudi Arabia. Int J Environ Res Public Heal. 2022;19(10):6342.
22. Magoha L, Nyanza EC, Asori M, Thomas DSK. Informal welders’ occupational safety and environmental health risks in northwestern Tanzania. PLOS Glob Public Heal. 2024;4(2):1–14.
23. Shaker Abdul Ridha G. Risk Assessment of Physio-Mechanical Hazards and Utilization of Personal Protective Equipment Among Welders in Kut City, Iraq. Wasit J Eng Sci. 2024;12(3):25–32.
24. Anuradha Chauhan AC, Tanu Anand TA, Jugal Kishore JK, Danielsen TE, Ingle GK. Occupational hazard exposure and general health profile of welders in rural Delhi. 2014;
25. Keerthik AJ, Shabadi N, Mounika Sree M. Prevalence of noise-induced health hazards and occupational safety practices among welders in Mysuru city: a cross-sectional study. Int J Community Med Public Heal. 2024;11(3):1204.
26. Roach LL. The Relationship of Welding Fume Exposure, Smoking, and Pulmonary Function in Welders. Work Heal Saf. 2018;66(1):34–40.
27. Hilmi RZ, Hurriyati R, Lisnawati L. Pengaruh lifestyle terhadap keputusan pembelian produk clothing line (Survei pada Konsumen Clothing Line Famo di Kota Bandung). J Bus Manag Educ. 2018;3(2):91–102.
28. Chauhan A, Anand T, Kishore J, Danielsen TE, Ingle GK. Occupational hazard exposure and general health profile of welders in rural Delhi. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2014;18(1):21–6.
29. Mutangala N, Ndiaye M, Kaseba AN, Mukeng C, Cilundika PM, Mukomena ES. Occupational Hearing Hazards among Informal Sector Welders in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. Health (Irvine Calif). 2021;13(09):995–1009.
30. Chau N, Gauchard GC, Siegfried C, Benamghar L, Dangelzer JL, Français M, et al. Relationships of job, age, and life conditions with the causes and severity of occupational injuries in construction workers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2004;77(1):60–6.
31. Bosu WK. Determinants of Mean Blood Pressure and Hypertension among Workers in West Africa. Int J Hypertens. 2016;2016.
32. Khan M, Muhmood K, Noureen S, Mahmood HZ, Amir-ud-Din R. Epidemiology of respiratory diseases and associated factors among female textile workers in Pakistan. Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2022;28(1):184–98.
33. Engström G, Hedblad B, Rosvall M, Janzon L, Lindgärde F. Occupation, marital status, and low-grade inflammation: Mutual confounding or independent cardiovascular risk factors? Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2006;26(3):643–8.
34. Ganesh Kumar S, Dharanipriya A. Prevalence and pattern of occupational injuries at workplace among welders in coastal south India. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2014;18(3):135–9.
35. Susihono W, Selviani Y, Arisanthi Dewi IAK, Gede Liswahyuningsih NL. Musculosketal and Postural Stress Evaluation Basic for Ergonomic. 2020;394(Icirad 2019):270–6.
36. Nwogueze BC, Ofili MI, Anachuna KK, Mbah AO. Serum zinc levels and body composition variability as trajectory for hyperlipidemic and dyslipidemic effect among welders exposed to welding fumes and smoking: A biomarker for cardiovascular health. Toxicol Reports. 2024;12:607–13.
37. Hassan SM, Nasir U, Anwar K, Talib U. An assessment of the level of awareness and reported complaints regarding occupational health hazards and the utilization of personal protective equipments among the welders of Lahore, Pakistan. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2017;23(2):98–109.
38. Srhan AR, Jassem AK, Mahmoud RA. Client’s Satisfaction with the Healthcare Services Provided In Primary Healthcare Centers In the Al-Qadisiyah Governorate. Obstet Gynaecol FORUM. 2024;3(s):2461.
39. Zahlimar, Zuriati Z, Chiew L. Relationship quality of health services with satisfaction of patients in H. Hanafie Muara Bungo Hospital in 2019. Enferm Clin. 2020;30:168–70.
40. Pelletier D, Green-Demers I, Collerette P, Heberer M. Modeling the communication-satisfaction relationship in hospital patients. SAGE Open Med. 2019;7.
2. Bassey MO, Offiong U, Ikpe AE. Finite element simulation for thermo-mechanical transient behavior of mild steel plate agglutinated by gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) technique. J Mater Eng Struct Comput. 2023;2(3):71–91.
3. Ogbonna OS, Akinlabi SA, Madushele N, Mashinini PM, Abioye AA. Application of MIG and TIG welding in automobile industry. In: Journal of Physics: Conference Series. IOP Publishing; 2019. p. 42065.
4. Bakri SFZ, Hariri A, Ismail M. Occupational health risk assessment of inhalation exposure to welding fumes. Int J. 2020;8(1.2).
5. Niebuhr E, Stern RM, Thomsen E, Wulf HC. Genotoxicity of nickel welding fumes assayed with sister chromatid exchange in human-blood cells in culture. In: Annals of clinical and laboratory science. Inst clinical science inc 1833 delancey place, philadelphia, pa 19103; 1981. p. 85–6.
6. Antonini JM. Health effects of welding. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2003;33(1):61–103.
7. Smargiassi A, Baldwin M, Savard S, Kennedy G, Mergler D, Zayed J. Assessment of exposure to manganese in welding operations during the assembly of heavy excavation machinery accessories. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 2000;15(10):746–50.
8. Cloe WW. Selected Occupational Fatalities Related to Welding and Cutting as Found in Reports of OSHA Facility/catastrophe Investigations. US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration; 1988.
9. Spear JE. Welding Safety: Assessing and Controlling Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium. Prof Saf. 2010;55(09):22–31.
10. Stephenson D, Seshadri G, Veranth JM. Workplace exposure to submicron particle mass and number concentrations from manual arc welding of carbon steel. AIHA J. 2003;64(4):516–21.
11. Atukunda I, Lusobya RC, Ali SH, Mukisa J, Otiti-Sengeri J, Ateenyi-Agaba C. Prevalence, pattern and factors associated with ocular disorders in small-scale welders in Katwe, Kampala. BMC Ophthalmol. 2019;19:1–8.
12. Oluwole I, Nwanna K, Afolabi KK, Ademola SA, Aremu AB, Mujeeb S. Determinants of compliance with the occupational health and safety practices among metal welders in Jinja municipality-Jinja district Uganda. OIMICS International; 2018.
13. Alexander V, Sindhu KNC, Zechariah P, Resu AV, Nair SR, Kattula D, et al. Occupational safety measures and morbidity among welders in Vellore, Southern India. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2016;22(4):300–6.
14. Riccelli MG, Goldoni M, Poli D, Mozzoni P, Cavallo D, Corradi M. Welding fumes, a risk factor for lung diseases. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(7):2552.
15. Tagurum YO, Gwomson MD, Yakubu PM, Igbita JA, Chingle MP, Chirdan OO. Awareness of occupational hazards and utilization of PPE amongst welders in Jos metropolis, Nigeria. Int J Res Med Sci. 2018;6(7):2227–33.
16. Wanjari MB, Wankhede P. Occupational hazards associated with welding work that influence health status of welders. Int J Curr Res Rev. 2020;12(23):51–5.
17. Jbara AA, Abed ND, Mohammed SAJ. Evaluation of Health Risks in the Blood Serum of People Working in the Welding Industry as a Result of Exposure to Heavy Metals in Diyala Governorate/Iraq. Procedia Eng Life Sci. 2024;5:730–7.
18. Atiya LR, Abdulhay HS. The accumulation of some heavy metals in the welders blood. Env Heal. 2022;206:517–29.
19. Obayes KH. Estimation of Soil Contamination with Heavy Metals in the Streets of Al-Diwaniyah City in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate, Iraq. Nat Environ Pollut Technol. 2022;21(5):2241–8.
20. Ghauri S, Ayub N. A Pathway to Identify Employability Skills of Business Graduates Based on Subject Specialization. KASBIT Bus J. 2021;14(3).
21. Abalkhail A, Kabir R, Elmosaad YM, Alwashmi AS, Alhumaydhi FA, Alslamah T, et al. Needlestick and sharp injuries among hospital healthcare workers: an infection control challenge in Saudi Arabia. Int J Environ Res Public Heal. 2022;19(10):6342.
22. Magoha L, Nyanza EC, Asori M, Thomas DSK. Informal welders’ occupational safety and environmental health risks in northwestern Tanzania. PLOS Glob Public Heal. 2024;4(2):1–14.
23. Shaker Abdul Ridha G. Risk Assessment of Physio-Mechanical Hazards and Utilization of Personal Protective Equipment Among Welders in Kut City, Iraq. Wasit J Eng Sci. 2024;12(3):25–32.
24. Anuradha Chauhan AC, Tanu Anand TA, Jugal Kishore JK, Danielsen TE, Ingle GK. Occupational hazard exposure and general health profile of welders in rural Delhi. 2014;
25. Keerthik AJ, Shabadi N, Mounika Sree M. Prevalence of noise-induced health hazards and occupational safety practices among welders in Mysuru city: a cross-sectional study. Int J Community Med Public Heal. 2024;11(3):1204.
26. Roach LL. The Relationship of Welding Fume Exposure, Smoking, and Pulmonary Function in Welders. Work Heal Saf. 2018;66(1):34–40.
27. Hilmi RZ, Hurriyati R, Lisnawati L. Pengaruh lifestyle terhadap keputusan pembelian produk clothing line (Survei pada Konsumen Clothing Line Famo di Kota Bandung). J Bus Manag Educ. 2018;3(2):91–102.
28. Chauhan A, Anand T, Kishore J, Danielsen TE, Ingle GK. Occupational hazard exposure and general health profile of welders in rural Delhi. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2014;18(1):21–6.
29. Mutangala N, Ndiaye M, Kaseba AN, Mukeng C, Cilundika PM, Mukomena ES. Occupational Hearing Hazards among Informal Sector Welders in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. Health (Irvine Calif). 2021;13(09):995–1009.
30. Chau N, Gauchard GC, Siegfried C, Benamghar L, Dangelzer JL, Français M, et al. Relationships of job, age, and life conditions with the causes and severity of occupational injuries in construction workers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2004;77(1):60–6.
31. Bosu WK. Determinants of Mean Blood Pressure and Hypertension among Workers in West Africa. Int J Hypertens. 2016;2016.
32. Khan M, Muhmood K, Noureen S, Mahmood HZ, Amir-ud-Din R. Epidemiology of respiratory diseases and associated factors among female textile workers in Pakistan. Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2022;28(1):184–98.
33. Engström G, Hedblad B, Rosvall M, Janzon L, Lindgärde F. Occupation, marital status, and low-grade inflammation: Mutual confounding or independent cardiovascular risk factors? Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2006;26(3):643–8.
34. Ganesh Kumar S, Dharanipriya A. Prevalence and pattern of occupational injuries at workplace among welders in coastal south India. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2014;18(3):135–9.
35. Susihono W, Selviani Y, Arisanthi Dewi IAK, Gede Liswahyuningsih NL. Musculosketal and Postural Stress Evaluation Basic for Ergonomic. 2020;394(Icirad 2019):270–6.
36. Nwogueze BC, Ofili MI, Anachuna KK, Mbah AO. Serum zinc levels and body composition variability as trajectory for hyperlipidemic and dyslipidemic effect among welders exposed to welding fumes and smoking: A biomarker for cardiovascular health. Toxicol Reports. 2024;12:607–13.
37. Hassan SM, Nasir U, Anwar K, Talib U. An assessment of the level of awareness and reported complaints regarding occupational health hazards and the utilization of personal protective equipments among the welders of Lahore, Pakistan. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2017;23(2):98–109.
38. Srhan AR, Jassem AK, Mahmoud RA. Client’s Satisfaction with the Healthcare Services Provided In Primary Healthcare Centers In the Al-Qadisiyah Governorate. Obstet Gynaecol FORUM. 2024;3(s):2461.
39. Zahlimar, Zuriati Z, Chiew L. Relationship quality of health services with satisfaction of patients in H. Hanafie Muara Bungo Hospital in 2019. Enferm Clin. 2020;30:168–70.
40. Pelletier D, Green-Demers I, Collerette P, Heberer M. Modeling the communication-satisfaction relationship in hospital patients. SAGE Open Med. 2019;7.
Section
Original Articles
