ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Occupational Health and Safety
This article is part of the Research TopicTransforming Work Environments: The Impact of Healing Workplaces on Employee Wellbeing and Organizational PerformanceView all 3 articles
Worker Health and Well-being in Ontario's Electrical Sector: A Quantitative Study of Occupational Health Outcomes
Provisionally accepted
Donia Obeidat1,2Hong Ki Chloe Lau1Javier Mencia Ledo1
Sana Siddiqui1Avasa Sarawan1
Zhiyang Shi1Raihana Premji1
Aaron Howe1Ali Bani-Fatemi1
Ali Asgary3
Basem Gohar4,5Vijay Kumar Chattu6,7,8
Geoffrey Maina9
Thankam Sunil10
Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia1,11,5*- 1Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Canada
- 2Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
- 3Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University, Toronto, Canada
- 4Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
- 5Centre for Research in Occupational Safety & Health, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Canada
- 6Department of Public Health, Health Administration, Information, and Health Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, United States
- 7Central Asian Regional Center for Planetary Health, Semey Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan
- 8Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Wardha, India
- 9University of Saskatchewan College of Nursing, Saskatoon, Canada
- 10University of Tennessee, Department of Public Health, Knoxville, United States
- 11Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
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Introduction: In Canada, Ontario's shortage of electricians is linked to high physical demands and psychosocial stressors that may undermine worker well-being. Methods: Using a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) informed lens, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey of self-employed electricians in Ontario (n=188), assessing musculoskeletal symptoms (12-month), sleep quality, psychological distress, burnout (personal, work-related), and job satisfaction. Results: Overall, 90.2% reported at least one musculoskeletal symptom in the past 12 months. Regression analyses revealed that sleep quality and years of experience significantly predicted psychological distress and burnout, with poorer sleep linked to higher personal and work-related burnout, greater psychological distress, and lower job satisfaction. More years of experience were associated with lower distress and burnout. Women reported higher psychological distress than men, highlighting inequality and discrimination in male-dominated trades. Apprentices experienced greater psychological distress (8.96 (SD = 8.29)) than non-apprentices (4.99 (SD = 6.59)), reflecting vulnerabilities associated with low wages, job insecurity, and a lack of support. Discussion: These findings highlight the complex interplay of physical, psychological, and socio-structural factors in shaping electricians' health. Targeted interventions are crucial for promoting sustainable and inclusive skilled trade environments in the electrical industry.
Keywords: apprentices, burnout, Canada, Electricians, Musculoskeletaldisorders, Occupational Health, psychological distress, sleep quality
Received: 29 Oct 2025; Accepted: 08 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Obeidat, Lau, Mencia Ledo, Siddiqui, Sarawan, Shi, Premji, Howe, Bani-Fatemi, Asgary, Gohar, Chattu, Maina, Sunil and Nowrouzi-Kia. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia
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