Linking mental health to safety behavior in construction workers: The mediating effect of work ability and sleep quality

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The severity of occupational accidents and injuries in the construction industry is the greatest across all industries. Few studies have examined the causal relationships among physical and psychological variables affecting the safety behavior of construction workers. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationships among three factors (metal health, work ability and sleep quality) influencing the safety behavior of construction workers. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 204 workers in civil construction projects in Iran. The data were gathered via self-reporting questionnaires. The acquired data were analyzed by the Smart PLS3 software using structural equation modeling with the partial least squares (PLS) regression approach. RESULTS: The R square revealed an acceptable fineness of the structural model. Similarly, as Q square values were higher than 0.15 for all factors, the predictability of the model was approved. The direct effect of mental health on safety behavior was not significant, but work ability and sleep quality had significant direct effects on safety behavior. Moreover, a decrease in mental health significantly reduced construction workers’ sleep quality and work ability. CONCLUSION: The results of this study prove that sleep quality and work ability mediate the relationship between mental health and safety behavior. The deterioration of construction workers’ mental health can increase the risk of unsafe behavior and occupational injuries. Therefore, appropriate measures need to be taken to maintain and improve the mental health of construction workers.