Self-Reported Health Status Among Street Vendors In Accra

Abstract The health and safety of vendors on the street is not assured. Provision of running water, place of convenience, adequate shelter and other amenities that are needed to promote and maintain health is not usually available for them. This study aimed to; determine the common health conditions among street vendors, assess vending risk awareness among hawkers as well as assess protective strategies used by vendors to protect themselves from workplace hazards. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in which 400 street vendors were randomly selected at chosen traffic hot spots in the Accra Metropolis. Vendors were interviewed with a questionnaire, which asked questions on the duration of hawking, personal health experiences, risk awareness, health protection strategies and life style. Out of the 400 participants 374, representing 93.5% have had an event of adverse health condition during vending. Musculoskeletal disease (82.7%) was the most frequent health condition reported followed by infectious diseases and headaches (73.9%), behavior problems (58.4%), respiratory disease (41.1%), cardiac and acute vascular events (34.3%) and finally skin disease (28.8%). Despite the event of an adverse health condition, 41.1% of the vendors assessed their health as good and 29.8% reported their health changed for the worse after engaged in street vending. Sex, low weekly profit, and longer work duration seem to predispose vendors to ill health.