Job specific health status of workers in ayurvedic pharmaceutical manufacturing units across Kerala: a cross-sectional study

Introduction Workers in small and medium scale Ayurvedic pharmaceutical manufacturing units are exposed to various occupational hazards like heat, fumes, dust, noise, and strenuous physical activities due to reliance on traditional production methods. Evidence on job specific health risks in this sector remains limited. The objective of this study was to know the current health status of workers in Ayurvedic manufacturing units. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 152 workers employed in small and medium-scale Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industries across Kerala using a structured questionnaire of 25 items to assess their physical(13 items), mental(5 items) and environmental(7 items) health status. The data were collected by the principal investigator via face-to-face interview. Sociodemographic and occupational characteristics were also recorded. Association between health outcomes and job roles was analyzed using chi-square test. Results Physical and environmental health outcomes showed strong association with job roles. Workers involved in production, packing, milling, grinding, and raw material store reported higher prevalence of tiredness, nasal complaints, skin allergy, body pain, prolonged standing or sitting, repetitive hand movements, heavy lifting and exposure to environmental conditions like dust, heat, noise, vibration, sunlight, and smoke. In contrast, mental health outcomes like perceived stress, difficulty in maintaining concentration, mood changes and sleep disturbances did not demonstrate significant association with job roles and were more evenly distributed among the workforces. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that task related ergonomic demand and environmental exposure are the primary drivers of occupational morbidity in an Ayurvedic pharmaceutical manufacturing unit. These findings also highlight the need for task specific ergonomic and environmental intervention to improve worker health and promote safer and more sustainable practices in Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industries.