Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

  • Volume 34
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  • Pages.29.1-29.14
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  • 2022
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  • 1225-3618(pISSN)
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  • 2052-4374(eISSN)
The Korean Society of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (대한직업환경의학회)
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Hotel housekeepers and occupational health: experiences and perceived risks

  • Xenia Chela-Alvarez (Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Balearic Islands Health Service) ;
  • Oana Bulilete (Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Balearic Islands Health Service) ;
  • Encarna Garcia-Illan (Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Balearic Islands Health Service) ;
  • MClara Vidal-Thomas (Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Balearic Islands Health Service) ;
  • Joan Llobera (Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Balearic Islands Health Service) ;
  • Arenal Group (Arenal Group)
  • Received : 2022.07.11
  • Accepted : 2022.09.25
  • Published : 2022.12.31
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Abstract

Background: Hotel housekeepers are one of the most important occupational group within tourism hotel sector; various health problems related to their job have been described, above all musculoskeletal disorders. The objective of this study is to understand the experiences and perceptions of hotel housekeepers and key informants from the Balearic Islands (Spain) regarding occupational health conditions and the strategies employed to mitigate them. Methods: A qualitative study was carried out. Six focus groups with hotel housekeepers and 10 semi-structured interviews with key informants were conducted. Next, we carried out a content analysis. Results: Hotel housekeepers reported musculoskeletal disorders, anxiety and stress as main occupational health problems; health professionals underscored the physical problems. Hotel housekeepers perceived that their work (physically demanding and with repetitive movements) caused their health conditions. To solve health issues, they used medication (anti-inflammatory agents, painkillers, sedatives and anxiolytics), which allowed them to continue working; health public services, generally rated as satisfactory; individual protective equipment; ergonomics (with difficulties due to high work pace and hotel facilities) and physical activity. Two contrasting attitudes were identified regarding sick leave: HHs who refused to accept a doctor-prescribed sick leave (due to fear of being fired, sense of responsibility, ...), and those who accepted it (because they could not continue working, they prioritised health before work). Conclusions: Our results might contribute to plan improvement strategies and programs to address health problems among hotel housekeepers. These programs should include interventions, such as coping strategies for the work-related risk factors (i.e., stress) and strategies to reduce medicine consumption. Additionally, hotel facilities should adopt policies focused on making workplaces more ergonomic (i.e., furniture) and to diminish the work pace.

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Acknowledgement

The aim of the project "Hotel housekeepers and health" (ITS'17-096) is to make hotel housekeepers' health problems public and visible to society and administrations, as well as facilitating their empowerment through an intervention. We expect hotel housekeepers to be able to prevent the most frequent health problems and improve their quality of life and their psychological and social well-being. The results presented here correspond to a first phase of the project that seeks to explore the perceptions of hotel housekeepers and contribute to the design of a data collection questionnaire to estimate the frequency of health problems, exposure to occupational risk factors and the quality of life related to health, among others. We acknowledge the collaboration of all health care centres and general practitioners involved in the recruitment of the participants and the assistance provided in order to conduct focus groups and interviews. In addition, we acknowledge the participation of all interviewees.

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