Awareness of Occupational Health Services and Their Utilisation Among Garment Workers in Aba Export Processing Zone, Abia State

Garment and textile workers in industrial export processing zones face significant occupational health risks from repetitive strain injuries, airborne textile dust, chemical exposure, and ergonomic hazards, yet occupational health service utilisation in this sector in South East Nigeria remains undocumented. This study assesses awareness of occupational health services and their utilisation among garment workers in the Aba Export Processing Zone, Abia State. A cross-sectional descriptive design is applied to 280 workers selected through systematic random sampling from six garment manufacturing units. A structured questionnaire assesses awareness of available occupational health services, frequency of utilisation, barriers to access, knowledge of occupational rights, and self-reported work-related illness or injury in the preceding six months. SPSS is used for analysis, with chi-square tests examining associations between awareness and utilisation. Literature from Nigerian free trade and export processing zone contexts indicates that occupational health service infrastructure is variable and frequently inaccessible to workers due to cost, fear of employment termination, and lack of awareness of entitlements. The Precaution Adoption Process Model informs the study's framework for understanding the pathway from awareness to health-protective action. Findings will support the Abia State Ministry of Labour and the National Industrial Court in advocating for improved occupational health compliance in export processing zones. Keywords: occupational health services, garment workers, export processing zone, Aba, Abia State.