THE ROLE OF INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS, PSYCHOSOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS, WORK FATIGUE, AND CALORIC ADEQUACY IN PERFORMANCE AMONG FEMALE POTTERY ARTISANS IN KARANGANYAR, BOROBUDUR

Background: Pottery making is a vital tourism-supporting industry in Karanganyar, Borobudur, predominantly operated by female workers. Purpose: Investigate the factors influencing the performance of female pottery workers in Karanganyar. Method: A cross-sectional approach was employed and respondents were selected using simple random sampling techniques, yielding 43 participants out of 70 female workers. Data were collected using questionnaires and measurement devices (reaction timer, stature meter, and digital weight scale), then analyzed using Chi-square. Variables such as performance, psychosocial environment in the workplace, individual characteristics (age, marital status, number of children, and length of service), fatigue, and calorie adequacy were measured. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) were employed to assess psychosocial environments and performance, respectively. Result: The majority of pottery workers were 41 - 50 years old (32.56%), were married (93.02%), had 1 - 2 children (46.51%), and had more than 30 years of services (46.51%). Calorie deficits affected 41.86% workers, with 62.79% showing moderate performance, 81.40% experiencing a moderate psychosocial environment, and 48.84% facing mild fatigue. The Chi-square test revealed a significant association between age (p-value = 0.023), fatigue (p-value = 0.033), psychosocial environment (p-value = 0.022), and calorie adequacy (p-value = 0.047) toward performance. Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of age, psychosocial environments, work fatigue, and calorie intake on the performance of female pottery workers.

Introduction

Borobudur is one of the super priority destinations currently under the development focus of the Indonesian government. In addition to the temples, one of the region’s assets and tourist attractions is the existence of various handicraft centers scattered across villages in the Borobudur area, including pottery making. This pottery craft can be categorized as a small business run informally and managed individually by local citizens. As a supporting business for the Borobudur tourist area, the development of this industry is vital for the sustainability of tourism in this region. However, this craft business is not exempt from the challenges commonly encountered by other informal sectors. Poor work organization, inadequate access to clean water and proper sanitation, ergonomic hazards, and the use of heavy manual equipment are characteristics of this sector (Nag et al., 2016(Nag et al., 2016)).

Perceived organizational support has been found to impact well-being and performance positively (Meyers et al., 2020(Meyers et al., 2020)). However, many self-employed informal workers, including pottery makers lack work structure, organizational support, and supervision, relying heavily on individual motivation for performance (Mayangsari et al., 2020(Mayangsari et al., 2020); Wolfe and Patel, 2019(Wolfe & Patel, 2019)). The dual role conflict between work and family responsibilities can lead to overwhelming challenges, stress, and subsequent effects on performance for female workers, (Muis et al., 2021(Muis et al., 2021)). Women, particularly those in self-employment, experience a higher prevalence of mental health problems attributed to stress compared to men (Arias-de la Torre et al., 2016(Torre et al., 2016)). This stress disparity significantly impacts women’s performance. The textile industry, as studied by Andarini and Prasetya (2017)(Andarini & Prasetya, 2017), demonstrates a strong correlation between stress levels and fatigue among female workers. Stress and fatigue experienced by workers can lead to a decline in task performance and a reduced capacity for mental and physical activities, resulting in critical errors and accidents (Sadeghniiat-Haghighi and Yazdi, 2015(Sadeghniiat-Haghighi & Yazdi, 2015)).

Occupational Health and Safety(OHS) aspects in the informal sector work environment are often inadequate and not protected by labor regulations. Thus, workers in this sector are closely associated with poor health status, especially in countries with lower-middle incomes (Montero-Moraga et al., 2020(Montero-Moraga et al., 2020)). Nutrition interventions in the workplace are a health sector initiative that may be made to improve performance and productivity (Maes et al., 2012(Maes et al., 2012)). Workers’ energy and nutritional demands must be met for them to stay healthy and perform efficiently and effectively. Workers fail to consume an adequate and balanced diet are more likely to be involved in work accidents and have insufficient energy (Kartasapoetra, 2003(Kartasapoetra, 2003)). The lack of nutritional value in food consumed by workers can also result in diminished immunity and physical capacities, lack of desire, and decreased perceptive speed, all of which can reduce job productivity(Ramadhanti, 2020(Ramadhanti, 2020)). This is consistent with Rahmawati’s study, which found that calorie intake, breakfast habits, and nutritional status are associated with worker productivity (Rahmawati et al., 2023(Rahmawati et al., 2023)). Inadequate calorie intake can lead to a ecrease in skeletal muscle mass, resulting in weakness, decreased physical performance, and a loss of overall muscle strength. It can also cause a decline in intracellular and total body water, impacting hydration levels and impairing essential bodily functions, which in turn can negatively affect workers performance (Zalejska-Fiolka et al., 2022(Zalejska-Fiolka et al., 2022)).

Psychosocial risk factors in informal workers are typically found in this research field. According to a study by Gimeno Ruiz de Porras in Central America, informal workers reported a higher prevalence of psychosocial and musculoskeletal disease risk factors (Gimeno Ruiz de Porras et al., 2017(Porras et al., 2017)). The working relationship, including employer and employee interaction, shapes the work environment. However, due to their non-formal working relationship, informal workers have limited involvement in the organization and are deprived of the ability to influence work relationships. These conditions place them in a vulnerable position and increase their vulnerability to psychosocial risk factors (Montero-Moraga et al., 2020(Montero-Moraga et al., 2020)). However, some studies present conflicting findings that show self-employed individuals might be more satisfied with their occupations, which is paradoxical considering their poor quality of work conditions (Wolfe and Patel, 2019(Wolfe & Patel, 2019)).

The understanding of how the unique working conditions of informal and self-employed workers relate to their performance is still unclear, and even scarcer in women informal self-employed workers. In the preliminary survey, it was found that the pottery artisans in Karanganyar were predominantly female workers engaged in informal employment with inadequate equipment standards. They often worked independently, without assistance from colleagues. Working from home, they bore a dual burden, involving both their roles as pottery artisans and their domestic household responsibilities. These conditions made them susceptible to fatigue and psychosocial disturbances. Furthermore, many of these workers had irregular and insufficient dietary habits, resulting in inadequate nutrition and calorie intake. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between psychosocial environment, individual characteristics (age, marital status, number of children, and length of service), work fatigue, and calorie intake on the individual performance of female pottery workers in Karanganyar village, Borobudur Sub-district.

Material and Method

This research has received ethical approval from The Health Research Ethic

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