Results: The most common health problems were musculoskeletal complaints (back pain reported by 67.2 %,
other musculoskeletal complaints 15.4 %). Asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was reported
by 15.4 % of the workers. All participants reporting having a diagnosis of asthma or COPD had been or were
active smokers. Our findings indicate an impaired HRQoL among the investigated occupational group. Regarding
EQ-5D 68.3 % reported at least “slight” problems in one or more dimensions, and almost one third (31.7 %)
reported “no problems” in any dimension. Problems were most frequently reported in the dimension “pain/
discomfort” (64.1 % of the workers). The mean VAS value was 80.9 (13.2). The presence of back pain was associated with
limitations in HRQoL (RR 3.1; 95 %-CI 1.5-6.1). The EQ5D VAS score was statistically significantly lower among waste
collectors with back pain (77.9 SD 14.1) compared to those with no back complaints (88.0 SD 7.6, p < 0.01).