Examining the Relationships Between Occupational Exposures and Health Outcomes Among Informal Wood Furniture Workers in Thailand

This study examined occupational exposures and their associations with health outcomes among informal wood furniture workers in Thailand. A cross-sectional survey of 167 workers was conducted using the Healthy i-Work web application. The most common exposures were wood dust (69.46 percent), awkward postures and heavy lifting (64.07 percent), and noise (48.50 percent). Musculoskeletal disorders were the most prevalent health issue (58.68 percent), followed by fatigue, numbness, and hearing and visual problems. Logistic regression analyses revealed that twisting, bending, and/or heavy lifting were strongly associated with musculoskeletal pain (AOR = 9.607, p < .001), exposures to energy and motion with injuries (AOR = 6.967, p = .044), chemical exposures with eye or skin irritation (AOR = 8.484, p = .003), and heat exposure with fatigue (AOR = 3.394, p = .008). Noise and psychosocial exposures were also significant predictors of hearing and stress-related symptoms. These findings highlight the urgent need for occupational safety interventions, ergonomic improvements, and expanded healthcare access for informal workers in Thailand.