Vol. 1, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Background: Informal sector workers constitute a large, underserved workforce that is frequently exposed to hazardous working conditions and lacks access to occupational health and rehabilitation services. Community-based models integrated with primary health care may offer a feasible approach to improving work-related health outcomes in this group.
Objective: To evaluate the rehabilitation outcomes of a community-based occupational health program for informal sector workers, with a focus on pain, functional capacity, work ability, work participation and adoption of ergonomic practices.
Methods: A quasi-experimental, controlled, community-based study was conducted among informal workers in urban work clusters. Eligible adults engaged in physically demanding or repetitive informal work and reporting work-related musculoskeletal pain or functional limitations were allocated to an intervention group receiving a structured, 12-week community-based occupational health and rehabilitation program (n = 92) or to a comparison group without program exposure (n = 88). The intervention comprised workplace-focused ergonomic assessment, individually tailored therapeutic exercise and functional training, brief occupational health and safety education and facilitated referral to primary care when needed. Outcomes pain intensity (0-10 scale), functional capacity (0-100 score), self-reported work ability (0-10), work participation and ergonomic practice adoption—were assessed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months and analysed using paired tests, independent-sample tests and multivariable models.
Results: Groups were comparable at baseline. At 6 months, the intervention group showed greater reductions in pain (mean 6.9 to 2.8 vs 6.8 to 4.8), greater improvements in functional capacity (48.6 to 78.4 vs 49.2 to 63.1) and higher work ability scores (5.2 to 7.6 vs 5.3 to 6.1) than the comparison group, with all between-group differences statistically significant. Work retention/return-to-work and adoption of ergonomic practices were also higher in the intervention group. Multivariable analyses confirmed independent associations between program participation and improved outcomes.
Conclusion: A structured, community-based occupational health and rehabilitation program integrated with primary health care can achieve meaningful reductions in pain, substantial gains in functional capacity and work ability and improved work participation among informal sector workers. Scaling such programs within primary care and labour policies offers a pragmatic strategy to strengthen rehabilitation and occupational health coverage in the informal economy.