Effect of personal risk factors on the prevalence rate of musculoskeletal disorders among workers of an Iranian rubber factory.

BACKGROUND

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are among the most common occupational disorders in many countries and have an increasing trend.

OBJECTIVE

The present study was conducted in order to determine the prevalence rate of MSDs in different body regions and the effect of personal factors on the prevalence rate of MSDs among rubber industry workers.

METHODS

This analytical and cross-sectional study was performed on 206 workers of an Iranian rubber factory in 2014. The samples were randomly selected. Data were gathered by means of personal information form, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). The results were analyzed using SPSS16; by descriptive and analytical statistics.

RESULTS

The mean age and work history of subjects were 34.54±6.36 and 12.34±6.28 years, respectively. The highest prevalence rate of MSDs in the last twelve-months was related to the lower back region with a prevalence rate of 62.1%. Based on logistic regression, a significant correlation was found between MSDs and the final REBA score so that for a one-unit increase in score, the risk or complaint of neck and low back pain increased by 48.5% and 37.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Many rubber factory workers experience MSDs especially in the lower back region as a consequence of occupational risk factors. Therefore, detecting the occupational risk factors, work position standards and following ergonomic interventions are highly recommended.