Vasisht Pranav V
Community Medicine Department, Al Azhar Medical College and Superspeciality Hospital, Ezhalloor, Thodupuzha, Kerala, India.
J Family Med Prim Care. 2025 May;14(5):1946-1951. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1745_24. Epub 2025 May 31.
Sanitation workers do physically demanding job like collecting, segregating, and disposing waste. They are prone to develop musculoskeletal problems. The study aimed to measure sociodemographic profile and musculoskeletal morbidity among sanitation workers employed by the Thiruvananthapuram corporation.
To estimate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among, sanitation workers employed by Thiruvananthapuram corporation and factors associated with it.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in Thiruvananthapuram corporation. The designated sanitation workers employed by Thiruvananthapuram corporation were study population. 165 workers sampled out of 641 workers, working for not less than 12 months from before initiation of study, were included in study and were selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected using semistructured questionnaire, entered into MS Excel, analysed appropriately using appropriate statistical software. The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain during work during the last 1 year was assessed using Standardised Nordic questionnaire adopted in local language Malayalam. Socioeconomic factors and risk factors related to nature of work were also studied. Association between sociodemographic factors, risk factors and musculoskeletal morbidity was also tested statistically.
Of total study participants, 73 (44.2%) had felt knee pain in any of the knees or both knees, 53 (32.3%) had low back pain during the past 1-year period, followed by ankle pain and shoulder pain which 34 (21.6%) and 29 (17.9%) of participants reported. Overall, pain in any one of the body part was reported by 111 (67.3%) participants.
The study revealed high burden of musculoskeletal pain like knee pain, low back pain, ankle and shoulder. There is a need to take measures to reduce musculoskeletal pain and morbidities among sanitation workers employed by the corporation. Mostly, they are of older age, majority female gender and are prone to develop diseases of musculoskeletal system. Better ergonomic practices, mechanisation and health education will be beneficial to them.
环卫工人从事诸如收集、分类和处理垃圾等体力要求较高的工作。他们容易出现肌肉骨骼问题。本研究旨在衡量特里凡得琅市政公司雇佣的环卫工人的社会人口学特征和肌肉骨骼疾病发病率。
估计特里凡得琅市政公司雇佣的环卫工人中肌肉骨骼疼痛的患病率及其相关因素。
在特里凡得琅市政公司进行了一项横断面研究。研究对象为特里凡得琅市政公司指定雇佣的环卫工人。从641名工人中抽取165名工人作为样本，这些工人从研究开始前至少工作了12个月，通过简单随机抽样纳入研究。使用半结构化问卷收集数据，录入MS Excel，使用适当的统计软件进行适当分析。使用以当地语言马拉雅拉姆语采用的标准化北欧问卷评估过去1年工作期间肌肉骨骼疼痛的患病率。还研究了社会经济因素和与工作性质相关的风险因素。还对社会人口学因素、风险因素与肌肉骨骼疾病发病率之间的关联进行了统计学检验。
在所有研究参与者中，73人（44.2%）感到单膝或双膝疼痛，53人（32.3%）在过去1年期间有腰痛，其次是踝关节疼痛和肩部疼痛，分别有34人（21.6%）和29人（17.9%）报告。总体而言，111名（67.3%）参与者报告身体任何一个部位疼痛。
该研究揭示了膝关节疼痛、腰痛、踝关节和肩部疼痛等肌肉骨骼疼痛的高负担。有必要采取措施减少该市政公司雇佣的环卫工人的肌肉骨骼疼痛和疾病。他们大多年龄较大，女性居多，容易患上肌肉骨骼系统疾病。更好的人体工程学实践、机械化和健康教育将对他们有益。
