Abstract

Background: Garment factories in India contribute to the economic growth and it is the second largest sector for employment. Many unskilled laborers from rural location work in this sector. The common jobs handled by them are sewing, ironing, packing and lifting heavy loads which are monotonous, continuous and prolonged. Working for a long period of time without rest, absence of personal protective equipment and inadequate provision of ergonomic facilities at workplace leads to major health-related issues among the workers. The objective of this study was to identify the pattern and prevalence of major health problems among garment factory workers. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive electronic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Science Direct and Cochrane Library was carried out using the search strategy. All freely available studies with a full-text article in the database and detailed study methodology were included in this review. Results: Seventeen studies were included in this review. The studies revealed that the major health problems among the garment workers were musculoskeletal disorder, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, gynecological, ophthalmological and nutritional problems and mental illness. The musculoskeletal problems were the highest among all with a prevalence of 78.89. The most common region affected were back, followed by shoulder. Conclusions: Review of health problems among garment factory workers revealed that the musculoskeletal disorder were more prevalent. The majority of the studies were carried among women. Therefore, it is necessary to organize specific programs aimed at prevention of musculoskeletal disorders among garment workers.