Invisible work, unseen hazards: The health of women immigrant household service workers in Spain

• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20710
• Publication Date: 2009-05-28T12:41:47Z
• Authors: Emily Q. Ahonen; María José López‐...; María Luisa Vázquez; Victoria Porthé; Diana Gil‐González; Ana María García; Carlos Ruiz‐Frutos; Joan Benach; Fernando G. Benav...
• Keywords: Adult; Emigrants and Immigrants; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Occupational Exposure; Surveys and Questionnaires; Humans; 10. No inequality; Qualitative Research; Environmental hazards; Dones -- Salut i higiene; Family Characteristics; Occupational health; Wellbeing; Ergonomic hazards; Migrant; Household Products; Psychosocial hazards; Focus Groups; Middle Aged; Household service; Ergomic hazards; Occupational Diseases; Household Work; Social Class; Socioeconomic Factors; Spain; occupational health; Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública; 8. Economic growth; Female; foreign worker; 0305 other medical science; Dones -- Treball; Immigrant

Abstract Background Household service work has been largely absent from occupational health studies. We examine the hazards and effects identified by immigrant women household workers. Methods Exploratory, descriptive study of 46 documented undocumented in services Spain, using a phenomenological approach. Data were collected between September 2006 May 2007 through focus groups semi‐structured individual interviews. separated for analysis documentation status sorted mixed‐generation process. In second phase analysis, data on psychosocial organized Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire as guide. Results Informants reported number environmental, ergonomic corresponding effects. especially strongly present data. similar varied several emerging categories: whether participants primarily cleaners or carers they lived outside homes their employers. Documentation was relevant terms empowerment bargaining, but did not appear to influence tasks exposure directly. Conclusions Female workers are exposed variety that could be acted upon improved legislation, enforcement, preventive workplace measures, which discussed. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:405–416, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.