Health Needs of Carpet Weavers and Workshops in Iran

The aim of this research is assessing carpet weaver’s health needs and designing a model for meeting them. A sample of 1688 carpet weaver in 8 provinces (Azarbijan, Fars, Kerman, Markazi, Kordestan, Golestan, Mazandaran and Khorasan) has been interviewed for collecting research data. Findings show that a Persian carpet weaver in Iran is typically a thirty-one aged, married woman with three children who works seven hours a day. She has not another paid work and says that she weaves out of necessity. Regarding health habits, the research shows that 51% rest between work times, 14% exercise, 13% brush, 17% wash their hands with soap before dine and after going to toilet and only 6% use masks. Other results of the research indicate that health and medical facilities available for the population is not satisfactory in comparison to national rates. The carpet weaver's accesses to health and medical possibilities are as: 65% to physicians and medical centers, 79% to water supply, and 85% to bath. Also, 10% of them have social security insurance and 50% have rural medical insurance. 48% of respondents have attended health education programs and their information about issues of workshop's health needs and meeting them were satisfactory. 60% of workshops have other uses too, for example as kitchen, dining or guest rooms.