Occupational Health Research in Developing Countries:
A Partner for Social Justice
| Iman A. Nuwayhid, MD, DrPH
Occupational health remains
neglected in developing coun-
tries because of competing
social, economic, and politi-
cal challenges. Occupational
health research in developing
countries should recognize the
social and political context of
work relations, especially the
fact that the majority of devel-
oping countries lack the polit-
ical mechanisms to translate
scientific findings into effective
policies.
Researchers in the develop-
ing world can achieve tangible
progress in promoting occupa-
tional health only if they end
their professional isolation and
examine occupational health in
the broader context of social
justice and national develop-
ment in alliance with research-
ers from other disciplines. An
occupational health research
paradigm in developing coun-
tries should focus less on the
workplace and more on the
worker in his or her social con-
text. (Am J Public Health. 2004;
94:1916–1921)
HEALTH AND SAFETY
innovations in the workplace,
with low-cost and locally relevant
solutions, have been initiated in
several developing countries.1–3
However, occupational health re-
mains neglected in most develop-
ing countries under the pressure
of overwhelming social, eco-
nomic, and political challenges.4–6
The traditional workplace-
oriented occupational health
has proven to be insufficient in
the developing world, and tangi-
ble progress in occupational
health can be achieved only by
linking occupational health to the
broader context of social justice
and national development.7–10
In this article, I describe the
history and current state of occu-
pational health in industrialized
countries to argue that occupa-
tional health researchers in de-
veloping countries must focus
less on the workplace and more
on the worker and the worker’s
social context in which work-
place practices are embedded.
Leading occupational health re-
search issues are grouped into 2
domains: an internal domain,
which focuses on the workplace
(microenvironment), and an
external–contextual domain,
which examines the wider social
and global issues. Figure 1 lists
examples of issues that are ad-
dressed in each domain.
LESSONS FROM THE
INDUSTRIALIZED WORLD
A striking characteristic of oc-
cupational health in the indus-
trialized world, and a message
frequently disseminated in devel-
oping countries, is the contribu-
tion of science to progress in oc-
cupational health through data
collection, ongoing assessment of
problems, and innovative techno-
logical solutions.11 However,
what is rarely mentioned is the
presence in developed countries
of a political mechanism that me-
diates the translation of scientific
findings into policies and regula-
tions that are enforced by special-
ized agencies. In fact, very little
progress in occupational health
has been or can be achieved
without such a mechanism.
The history of occupational
health in the United States and
other industrially developed
countries shows that progress has
not been linear; occupational
health has been influenced pri-
marily by events outside the
field, namely social movements
and changes in the delivery of
health care and perception of
health.11–14 Setbacks and regres-
sions caused by changes in the
political mood and the popular
attitude toward work-related
risks are not infrequent.12,15 Nev-
ertheless, the occupational health
community has succeeded, even
in less favorable times, in ad-
dressing occupational health is-
sues by participating in a process
of risk assessment and risk man-
agement that “determines” the
validity and strength of scientific
findings versus the economic,
technological, and sociopolitical
feasibility of intervention.16
Occupational health research-
ers in industrialized countries in-
vestigate the effect of work on
health, depending on a process
that translates their scientific
findings into policy. A case in
point is the current National Oc-
cupational Health Research
Agenda in the United States,
Occupational Health Research in Developing Countries: A Partner for Social Justice| Iman A. Nuwayhid, MD, DrPHOccupational health remainsneglected in developing coun-tries because of competingsocial, economic, and politi-cal challenges. Occupationalhealth research in developingcountries should recognize thesocial and political context ofwork relations, especially thefact that the majority of devel-oping countries lack the polit-ical mechanisms to translatescientific findings into effectivepolicies.Researchers in the develop-ing world can achieve tangibleprogress in promoting occupa-tional health only if they endtheir professional isolation andexamine occupational health inthe broader context of socialjustice and national develop-ment in alliance with research-ers from other disciplines. Anoccupational health researchparadigm in developing coun-tries should focus less on theworkplace and more on theworker in his or her social con-text. (Am J Public Health. 2004;94:1916–1921)HEALTH AND SAFETYinnovations in the workplace,with low-cost and locally relevantsolutions, have been initiated inseveral developing countries.1–3However, occupational health re-mains neglected in most develop-ing countries under the pressureof overwhelming social, eco-nomic, and political challenges.4–6The traditional workplace-oriented occupational healthhas proven to be insufficient inthe developing world, and tangi-ble progress in occupationalhealth can be achieved only bylinking occupational health to thebroader context of social justiceand national development.7–10In this article, I describe thehistory and current state of occu-pational health in industrializedcountries to argue that occupa-tional health researchers in de-veloping countries must focusless on the workplace and moreon the worker and the worker’ssocial context in which work-place practices are embedded.Leading occupational health re-search issues are grouped into 2domains: an internal domain,which focuses on the workplace(microenvironment), and anexternal–contextual domain,which examines the wider socialand global issues. Figure 1 listsexamples of issues that are ad-dressed in each domain.LESSONS FROM THEINDUSTRIALIZED WORLDA striking characteristic of oc-cupational health in the indus-trialized world, and a messagefrequently disseminated in devel-oping countries, is the contribu-tion of science to progress in oc-cupational health through datacollection, ongoing assessment ofproblems, and innovative techno-logical solutions.11 However,what is rarely mentioned is thepresence in developed countriesof a political mechanism that me-diates the translation of scientificfindings into policies and regula-tions that are enforced by special-ized agencies. In fact, very littleprogress in occupational healthhas been or can be achieved
without such a mechanism.
The history of occupational
health in the United States and
other industrially developed
countries shows that progress has
not been linear; occupational
health has been influenced pri-
marily by events outside the
field, namely social movements
and changes in the delivery of
health care and perception of
health.11–14 Setbacks and regres-
sions caused by changes in the
political mood and the popular
attitude toward work-related
risks are not infrequent.12,15 Nev-
ertheless, the occupational health
community has succeeded, even
in less favorable times, in ad-
dressing occupational health is-
sues by participating in a process
of risk assessment and risk man-
agement that “determines” the
validity and strength of scientific
findings versus the economic,
technological, and sociopolitical
feasibility of intervention.16
Occupational health research-
ers in industrialized countries in-
vestigate the effect of work on
health, depending on a process
that translates their scientific
findings into policy. A case in
point is the current National Oc-
cupational Health Research
Agenda in the United States,
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