Occupational Hazards Vs Morbidity Profile among Police Force in Kerala

Abstract

Objective: To assess the work-related problems among police personnel.

Materials and Methods: A questionnaire- based study was carried out among 1125 policemen in Kottayam district of Kerala. The questionnaire included demographic details, particulars about physical illness, health compromising habits, mental health problems, social problems and family details. The relevant data was collected and analyzed using SPSS package (13.0 version).

Results: Majority of them (567, 50.4%) were in the age group of 40-49 years. 1049 (93.2%) of the study subjects were males. The most common complaints were backache (359, 31.9%) and joint pain (237, 21.1%). Women showed higher prevalence of mental stress compared to men, 1.3% (15) as against 13.7% (155). Habit of smoking was found in 149 (13.2%) and alcoholism in 102 (9.1%) of them. Conclusion: Policemen suffer from many health problems. This calls for increased awareness among the police force and periodic health check ups to ensure their well-being.