Tag Archives: risk factors

1417-1426 E. Merisalu, M. Männaste, K. Hiir and A. Traumann
Predictors and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among sewing machine operators
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Predictors and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among sewing machine operators

E. Merisalu¹*, M. Männaste¹, K. Hiir¹ and A. Traumann²

¹Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute of Technology, Kreutzwaldi 56, EE51014 Tartu, Estonia
²TTK University of Applied Sciences, Pärnu mnt. 62, EE10134 Tallinn, Estonia *Correspondence: eda.merisalu@emu.ee

Abstract:

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a common and most often disabling problem among sewing machine operators and associated to work related factors. The aim of study was to determine work related and individual risk factors and the prevalence of MSDs among sewing machine operators and describe relationships between risk factors and MSDs. The data were collected in random sample method, using parts of a standardized CUPID (Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability) questionnaire. The questions were focused on occurrence of MSDs in different body regions, in the past year and past month. The respondents assessed pain in the neck, lower back, and both on the right and left side of shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands and knees. The questions about individual, physiological and psychological risk factors and health behaviour were included.

The response rate was 43.9%, from 130 sewing machine operators fifty seven of them responded to the questionnaire. They all were women, in mean age 44.4 ± 8.6 years and with average body mass index (BMI) 26.8 ± 6.6 kg m-2. The majority had work experience more than 5 years. Sewing work is monotonous, in steady sitting position, with repetitive movements in elbow, wrist and fingers during a whole workday. The most of respondents (93%) have reported poor autonomy to decide over the working schedule and 75.4% had low decision latitude over what and how to do work. The majority of sewing machine operators get support from the colleagues and management.
Musculoskeletal pain at least in one body site was measured in 91.2% of cases in the past 12 months and among 82.5% of respondents in the past month. More than half of participants reported pain in three or more body sites. The most often pain regions were lower back (66.7%), neck (61.4%), wrist/hand (50.9%) and shoulders (42.1%) in the past year, and neck (45.6%) in the past month. Pearson correlation analysis showed positive relationships between lower back pain and poor autonomy (p = 0.02) and BMI (p = 0.05) and repetitive elbow bending was related to neck and wrist/hand pain (p = 0.05, in both). Regular smoking was related to wrist/hand pain (p = 0.003). In conclusion, high prevalence of MSDs among the sewing machine operators has observed, whereas lower back, neck, wrist and shoulders were the most often reported pain regions. Lower back pain correlated positively with BMI and autonomy, smoking with wrist/hand pain and repeated upper limb movements with neck and elbow pain.

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