Table 1

Socio-demographic and occupational profiles of the study groups

Background characteristicsWaste pickersControl group
n=200n=213
Age, years
 18–3048.0%33.3%
 31–4030.5%40.4%
 Above 4021.5%26.3%
 Mean age±SD34.0±10.236.5±9.8
Education
 Not literate69.5%40.9%
 Up to 5 years of education19.5%17.8%
 Above 5 years of education11.0%41.3%
 Mean years of education±SD1.6±2.84.2±4.1
Family size
 Up to 4 members38.5%42.3%
 5–6 members37.5%40.9%
 7 or more members24.0%16.9%
 Mean size of family±SD5.3±2.14.8±1.8
Sex
 Female42.5%15.9%
 Male57.5%84.0%
Years of working
 1–416.5%17.4%
 5–1037.0%36.6%
 Above 1046.5%46.0%
 Mean number of years±SD11.1±6.711.5±7.7
Weekly working hours
 Up to 4062.0%41.3%
 Above 4038.0%58.7%
 Mean weekly hours±SD36.5±19.747.8±19.4