The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with the wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in small scale industries.

In a cross-sectional study, the data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires, a special health examination and the industrial hygiene records. The study included 230 workers in small-scale industries (the print industry and automobile repair shops), which were provided with a subsidiary occupational health program funded by government in 1998. The authors used the Precede-Proceed model.

Among the subjects who were recommended to wear a PPE, 32.7% (35/107) wore the gas/vapor respirators, 43.9 % (101/230) wore the particulate respirators, and 44.3 % (102/230) wore hearing aids. Among them, 64.3 % (148/230) wore one of the above PPE. The wearing of PPE wearing was associated with knowledge (OR=2.34), the value of prevention (OR=3.46), social support (OR=2.78), the type of task (OR=2.18-4.47), and income level (OR=7.64).

In small scale industries, the proportion workers wearing PPE was low. To increase this proportion, the reinforcing, enabling, and environmental factors as well as the predisposing factors need to be modified.