Health, Women's Work, and Industrialization - Center for Gender in ...

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assembly had glasses, compared with 2.9% of those without assembly
experience. These results again suggest that microscope work is related to
eye problems, to eyesight deterioration in particular. Indeed, about 20% of
those who have worked in assembly had to obtain glasses.
Table 15 reaffirms that those who use microscopes (or video display
terminals) are more likely to suffer eye complaints than those who do not.
In fact, those using microscopes are almost twice as 1 ikely to have eye
problems. In Singapore, 25% of those currently using microscopes reported
having to obtain glasses, while only 5% of those not using microscopes
reported similarly. In Malaysia, 21.3% of those currently using microscopes
complained of blurred vision, while only 2% of those without microscope work
complained.
The musculoskeletal (M/S) problems were primarily hand and wrist pain
and back and shoulder aches. Table 16 shows that those who perform
repetitive motions, lift, and strain, or who continuously stand or sit are
more 1 ikely to suffer aches and pains than those who do not. In Singapore
32% of those who had to reach and sit or stand all day reported back and
shoul der aches. Those without thi s exposure reported low prevalence 1 evel s
-- 2% with pain and 3% with aches. The physical strain problem is spread
across various jobs from clerical work to assembly to testing. The source
of the problem appears to 1 ie in both ergonomic deSign and pace of work.
Those with M/S problems report working in uncomfortable positions, having to
work fast, and doing monotonous work.
Exposure to vari ous substances was analyzed in rel ati on to symptomati c
complaints. Tables 17 through 20 show that skin problems (rashes and
dryness), nose and throat problems (chronic runny nose and frequent sore
throat), respiratory problems (tightness of chest and shortness of breath),
and central nervous system prob 1 ems (di zzi ness, weakness, frequent
headaches) are more commonly reported by workers who regularly use chemicals
(such solvents and cleaners as TCE, IPA, acetone, freon, epoxy, acids, and
flux) in their work.
Because a weak relationship was observed between job category and
reproductive health problems (production workers report more problems with
menstruation, pregnancy, and offspring), these problems were analyzed first
by work area and then by exposure to substances. Analyses by exposures, as
indicated in Tables 21 through 23, show that workers regularly using
chemi ca 1 s are more 1 i kely to experi ence probl ems with menstruati on (pain,
i rregul arity, and heavy flow), pregnancy (i nferti 1 i ty and mi scarri age) and
offspring (premature births and birth defects).
Among those reporting menstrual problems, pain and irregularity were the
problems most frequently reported. Of the pregnancy problems, those exposed
to chemicals mostly reported miscarriages, while infertility problems were
divided between those exposed to microscopes and those with no exposures.
The reported offspring problems were mostly premature births. Only married
women are included in the analyses of workers reporting pregnancy and