Health status of employees of adult entertainment clubs

Objectives: Over 500,000 U.S. women work in adult entertainment club jobs, work described as stigmatizing and physically and mentally arduous. However, little is known about these workers' health and health-related behaviors. The objective of this study was to describe the health status of this population. Methods: This cross-sectional survey, conducted at an adult entertainment club in Providence, RI, was administered to female employees via laptop. Questions, drawn from existing validated instruments, covered healthcare access, self-perceived physical/mental health, and risky behaviors. Descriptive statistics (means, percentages) were calculated. Univariate (chi-square) analysis compared prevalence of health problems in the study population with a sample of women of the same age in the RI Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Results: 69 women were surveyed (49 exotic dancers, 5 hostesses, 4 waitresses, 3 “house moms” and 8 other). Mean age was 26; 75% were white. 61% had health insurance (vs. 85% in BRFSS sample, p<0.001); 74% had a primary care provider (vs. 87%, p=0.005); 33% reported cost as a limitation to healthcare (vs. 18%, p=0.015). Many reported poor past-month physical (58% vs. 34%, p=0.004) and mental (67% vs. 39%, <0.001) health. A greater proportion of the study group reported cigarette smoking (51% vs. 11%, p<0.001), past month alcohol use (82% vs. 59%, p<0.001) and binge drinking (57% vs. 15%, p<0.001), and HIV risk factors (19% vs. 4%, p<0.001). Only 10% had ever received HIV testing (v. 51%, p<0.001). Conclusions: This sample of adult entertainment employees reported higher-than-average risky health behaviors, poor health, and limited healthcare access.