Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Associated Risk Factors among Selected Factory Workers in Penang, Malaysia (original) (raw)
Related papers
INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization has characterized "work-related" diseases as multifactorial to indicate that several risk factors (e.g., physical, work organizational, psychosocial individual, and sociocultural) contribute to causing these diseases [1]. "Musculoskeletal disorders'' include a wide range of inflammatory and degenerative conditions affecting the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, peripheral nerves, and supporting blood vessels. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are widespread in many countries, with substantial costs and impact on quality of life [2]. MSDs occur in certain industries and occupations with rates up to three or four times higher than the overall frequency. High-risk sectors include nursing facilities; air transportation; mining; food processing; leather tanning ; and heavy and light manufacturing (vehicles, furniture , appliances, electrical and electronic products, textiles, apparel and shoes) [3] Upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders are also highly prevalent in manual-intensive occupations, such as clerical work, postal service, cleaning, industrial inspection and packaging 4. Back and lower limb disorders occur disproportionately among truck drivers, warehouse workers, airplane baggage handlers, construction trades, nurses, nursing aides and other patient-care workers, and operators of cranes and other large vehicles [4, 5]. ABSTRACT Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders are a major public health problem in industrialized and developing countries. The present study was aimed to find out the prevalence of acute and chronic WMSD's in Industrial workers. Methodology: This cross-sectional observational study was carried out in 60 workers of the Adon Block department workers of the electrical & automation industry, Ahmednagar. Pre-structured occupational Performa was filled by asking questions in the worker's local language. The Nordic pain Questionnaire was filled by asking the subjects to mark the sites of pain on body chart paper. The risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal problems were assessed by the working posture of workers and repetitive movements in industrial set up. The data collected were interpreted and analyzed. Results: In the present study, 60 workers were selected, of which a number of females were 39 (65%) while males were 21 (35%). The Neck (20.2%) followed by the shoulder (14.9%), elbow (14.4%) and knee (14.4%) were most commonly involved. There was a statistically significant variation in the number of workers involved according to the posture (sitting vs standing) and part of the MSK system involved. Conclusion: The WMSD's are common in Adon block department workers. The involvement of neck, shoulder, lower back and arm was common in sitting position, while the involvement of upper back, elbow and knee were common in standing position. The disorders are commonly seen in workers irrespective of their duration of work and gender..
WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS (WMSDs) AMONG INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING WORKERS IN MALAYSIA
2016
A cross sectional study was conducted at industrial packaging company to investigate work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSDs) among 33 workers. Observational method includes task analysis and ergonomic risk assessment to investigate WMSDs. Task analysis approach is used to determine work processes and identify generic risk factors contributes to WMSDs. Meanwhile, Work Movement Task Analysis (WMTA) instrument is applied to investigate specific work-related ergonomic risk factors. Next, body discomfort survey is conducted to determine the trend of discomfort and pain among workers. Bivariate analysis (chi square) is conducted to determine relationship between body discomfort and WMTA risk scores. The results showed most of the workers (94%) are considered in the range of moderate risk according to WMTA’s risk categories, meanwhile two cases each for low and high-risk category. While the body discomfort survey findings for neck, back, shoulder & arm and knee & legs respectively sh...
International journal of physical education, sports and health, 2016
BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders were reported to occur in some industries and occupations with rates more than three or four times higher than the average rate across all industries. Most of the study has been done among healthcare population and results shows higher rate of prevalence. Meanwhile, very less surveys has been done on WRMSD among non-healthcare working population. Objective: To determine the prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders among non-healthcare working population in different gender at Selangor. Method: A self administered questionnaire was distributed to 300 subjects through convenient sampling method at 6 offices, 3 companies and 4 schools around Selangor. 240 subjects were responded to the questionnaire. Out of 240 subjects, 176 subjects has been included in this study and 20 subjects eliminated due to incomplete answers in questionnaires and 44 subjects excluded because they doesn't meet the inclusion criteria. The questionnaires of 17...
Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Discomfort Among Workers in a Medical Manufacturing Facility
International Journal of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering, 2021
Medical manufacturing has shown great growth potential in Malaysia, and this sector has created numerous jobs for both local and foreign workers. The workers involved in this industry are exposed to ergonomic risk factors, which lead to discomfort in different body parts. Despite the numerous studies on occupational hazards and the prevalence of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs), little is known about the prevalence of WMSDs for workers working in the medical manufacturing facility, especially in Malaysia. Thus, the main objective of this study is to identify the prevalence of WMSDs among workers in the selected medical manufacturing industry in Malaysia. Structured interviews using Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) were conducted among 10 male workers (mean age of 44 ± 10.83 years, age range of 24–55 years, and working experience range of <1–27 years). The results indicate that the workers experienced the highest discomfort in three body parts;...
Assessment of Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Manufacturing Industry
Journal of Ergonomics, 2018
Results of study show that experience workers having more reported pain in upper body parts due to poor work station design. This study is focused on measuring the Risks for WMSDs (Work related musculoskeletal disorders) among workers in a manufacturing company, by applying ergonomic tools like QEC (quick exposure checklist), RULA (rapid upper limb assessment) scores and Nordic questionnaire. A cross-sectional study was conducted among workers aged between 18 to 45 years with a total number of 48 workers selected through random sampling with in the duration of 12 weeks. Validated version of QEC, RULA score sheet and Nordic questionnaire was used to measure the risk level and number of reported pain in body parts among workers. The results showed that the mean score of QEC and RULA was 73.6 and 4.6 respectively. However, results showed that experienced workers reported more pain in different body parts, indicating more chances of WMSDs among them. 79% workers of total sample had reported pain in different parts of body according to Nordic questionnaire, out of which 86% workers had pain in upper part and 14% had pain in lower part of the body that was also verified from QEC and RULA score sheet.
International journal of physical education, sports and health, 2016
Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among non-healthcare working population in different gender at Selangor. Background: Musculoskeletal disorders were reported to occur in some industries and occupations with rates more than three or four times higher than the average rate across all industries. Most of the study has been done among healthcare population and results shows higher rate of prevalence. Meanwhile, very less surveys has been done on WRMSD among non-healthcare working population. Objective: To determine the prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders among non-healthcare working population in different gender at Selangor. Method: A self administered questionnaire was distributed to 300 subjects through convenient sampling method at 6 offices, 3 companies and 4 schools around Selangor. 240 subjects were responded to the questionnaire. Out of 240 subjects, 176 subjects has been included in this study and 20 subjects eliminated due to incomplete answers in questionnaires and 44 subjects excluded because they doesn't meet the inclusion criteria. The questionnaires of 176 subjects has been analysed and tabulated according to gender differences. Result: This study found that, the prevalence of WRMDs is significantly high among non-healthcare working population (77.3%) and women were reported to have more complaints of pain than men (78.8% vs. 74.6%). Conclusion: This study concluded that there is high prevalence of WRMDs among non-healthcare working population. Musculoskeletal disorders have negative impact on job performance and leisure activities.
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 2021
Background Musculoskeletal disorders are common worldwide. Several factors are suggested in their aetiology, one of which is ergonomics alongside other individual factors. This study aims at investigating the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among administrative office workers at a large university in Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited office workers at a Saudi university. A questionnaire was used that involved three sections, the first section consisted of sociodemographic questions, the second included the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) checklist to assess ergonomic factors possibly involved, and the third included the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire to measure the outcome. Bi-variate analyses were performed by Chi-Squared tests and T-tests where appropriate, and a multivariable logistic regression was done to yield odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in any region during...
International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health, 2017
overnight rest. These types of jobs are often those involving activities such as repetitive and forceful exertions; frequent, heavy, or overhead lifts; awkward work positions; or use of vibrating equipment. [1] One of the most prevalent types of work-related injuries is musculoskeletal disorders. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) result in persistent pain, loss of functional capacity, and work disability, but their initial diagnosis is difficult because they are mainly based on complaints of pain and other symptoms. [2] Therefore, further studies are needed to analyze the association between subjective descriptions and objective findings. [3] The traumatic injuries of the muscles, tendons, and nerves due to accidents are not considered to be WRMDs or are considered separately. Work activities which are Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) are a group of painful disorders of muscles, tendons, and nerves. Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, and tension neck syndrome are examples. Fascination with technology, overly ambitious business expectation, and neglected human factor risks can have serious effects on manufacturers, suppliers, and service enterprises. As India is one of the largest and growing hubs in the world of manufacture industry, there is a great need to identify such problem. In this study, we identified such problems and discussed it. Objectives: The aim of this study is to gather data to identify jobs or work conditions that are most problematic, using sources such as injury and illness logs, medical records, and job analyses. Materials and Methods: Data collection was done by personal interview, history and physical examinations, specific symptoms questionnaire, and rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) survey for WRMDs. Results: In our study, we found that prevalence of neck pain was highest followed by back pain in general. Most participants had complained that pain only aggravated when they continue work without taking rest. On examination, the presence of cervical spine tenderness was highest, followed by hand joints and lumbar spine tenderness. In admin and skilled participants, RULA score was up to 4 (satisfactory and modification required), but in unskilled participants, RULA was up to 7 (not satisfactory and immediate changes may require). Conclusion: Work activities which are frequent and repetitive or activities with awkward postures cause these disorders which may be painful during work or at rest. Most WRMD affects the hands, wrists, elbows, neck, and shoulders.
Meta-analysis Study of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Iran: based type of job
Objective Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are one of the major causes of lost working time, increased costs, human injuries and burnout. The International Labor Organization estimates that about 160 million work-related illnesses occur worldwide each year, where the highest prevalent illnesses are musculoskeletal disorders. Several studies have been conducted In Iran to investigate the prevalence of these disorders, each providing different statistics. Therefore, considering the importance of these disorders, it is necessary to obtain accurate results with high statistical power and validate them. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Iran in order to obtain more accurate results by conducting a meta-analysis. Materials & Methods For this meta-analysis, searching was conducted in SID, MagIran, IranMedex, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases using the keyword "work-related musculoskeletal disorders" in both Persian and English on studies conducted during 2001-2016 in various cities of Iran. Inclusion criteria were: investigating the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in a period of one year, being a cross-sectional or descriptive-analytical study, publication in Persian or English, availability of full-texts, assessment using standard methods (e.g. Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire) and considering the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders throughout the body (upper and lower extremities). The heterogeneity of the articles was evaluated using the I2 statistics and the data were analyzed in STATA software using meta-analysis and random-effects model. Results In this study, 45 papers on work-related musculoskeletal disorders were studied. The overall sample size of these studies was 9813, with a mean number of 218 for each study. Most of studies were descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional. In all of them, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in different parts of the body had been investigated. According to their results, the most prevalent workrelated musculoskeletal disorder in lower extremity was low back pain (0.49%) and in upper extremity, it was neck pain (39.3%). The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in other parts of the body were 39.32% in the neck, 36.9% in shoulders, 36.8% in the back, 34% in the wrist, 26.9% in legs, 20.5% in thighs and hips, and 16.2% in elbows.
2016
Work related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a cause of concern because of the ill health effects and high economic impact on businesses. Manual Material Handling (MMH) jobs are common in informal sector of developing countries. The present study was carried on the workers of a central market area in Kolkata to find out the prevalence of the MSD. 210 male MMH workers were randomly selected. Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence of MSD. Working posture was analyzed by Ovako working posture analysis system (OWAS). SF12 questionnaire was used to assess the physical and mental health status. Lower back was found to be worst affected body part (68 %) followed by Knee (63%), Neck (56%) and Shoulder (41%). The Physical composite score (PCS) and Mental composite score (MCS) were found to be 39.7 ± 9.11 and 46.0 ± 9.17 respectively. PCS, MCS and Frequency of lifting were found to be significant predictors of pain intensity rating. The regres...