Abstract:
The purpose of a cross-sectional survey study was to investigate the quality of life among workers in textile dyeing factories and related factors. The samples consisted of 216 workers from production lines and the color testing laboratories in 5 textile dyeing factories in Samutprakan, Samutsakhon and Nakhonpathom provinces. Data collection were accomplished with self-administered questionnaire from April to June 2014. The results revealed that the overall quality of life among workers were most likely between good and moderate levels (50.9% and 49.1%), and the percentage-mean score was 74.77. In addition, the percentage-mean scores of quality of life for each dimension showed that the score in the soul dimension was higher than the heart, brain, society, family, relax, body, and money dimensions (81.73, 79.60, 76.97, 75.62, 73.86, 71.01, 69.46, 67.36, respectively). The eight factors were significantly associated with an overall quality of life, namely, co-workers relationship, safety at work in the dimension of accident prevention, job characteristics, supervisory relationships, welfares (p<0.001); marital status (p<0.01); physical environment, ergonomics environment in the dimension of working posture (p<0.05). Furthermore, the three considerable predictors of overall quality of life among workers in textile dyeing factories were the co-workers relationship (β=0.31), safety at work in the dimension of accident prevention (β=0.26), and marital status (β=0.16), which accounted for 23% of the variance in the overall quality of life. The findings lead to recommendations that administrators of textile dyeing factory should have management mechanisms and well-planned activities instituted for workers to establish good relationship among each others. These include rising awareness of prevention regarding unexpected situation in the workplace by encouraging workers to pay attention to using personal protection equipment in workplace and by improving the ergonomics posture of the workers while in the workplace. The factory environment should be monitored and managed continuously. It should be aimed at workplace health and safety environment that prevents accident and ill-health among workers. Moreover, providing the knowledge regarding financial plans for the workers in order to reinforce the quality of life among workers. These are significant factors which will bring about a quality of life and happiness in the workplace for organization.