Musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) and their associations with
ergonomic physical risk factors of the women engaging in regular rural
household activities: A picture from a rural village in Bangladesh
Issue title: Special Section 1: Work in Bangladesh
Affiliations: Department of Occupational Therapy, Bangladesh Health
Professions Institute, Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, Savar,
Dhaka, Bangladesh | Department of Occupational Therapy, Center for the
Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Note: [] Corresponding author: Md. Monjurul Habib, Lecturer in
Occupational Therapy, Department of Occupational Therapy, Bangladesh Health
Professions Institute (BHPI), Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed
(CRP), P.O: CRP-Chapain, Savar, Dhaka-1343, Bangladesh. Tel.: +880 1716709253;
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal complaints among housewives are
very common around the world. In Bangladesh, although the majority of women are
involved in various household activities, no studies were found related to
musculoskeletal health and ergonomic risk factors for this work. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the prevalence of commonly affected
body parts where the women experienced Musculoskeletal Symptoms (MSS), the
disruption of normal activities due to the MSS, and the association of MSS with
ergonomic physical risk factors among women engaging in regular household
activities in a rural village of Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were women aged 20–45 in a small village in Bangladesh who were
involved in regular household activities for at least 5 hours a day for the
past year. METHOD: A total of 73 women were found eligible though
door-to-door home visits to determine the prevalence of MSS. Women who had
already been diagnosed with any arthritic conditions like rheumatoid and
osteoarthritis were excluded for the study. The Standardized Nordic
Questionnaire (SNQ) was used to determine the prevalence of MSS. Forty-six
women out of 73 who reported MSS in the past 12 months were voluntarily
assessed using the Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) risk assessment to determine
the association between physical risk factors and MSS. RESULTS: 68.49% (n=50) women reported having MSS during the last 12 months and
50.68% (n=37) of the respondents were prevented from normal daily
activities due to MSS. Most commonly affected regions were upper and lower
back, wrist, knees and elbows. Awkward posture, such as bending, lifting and
working in squatting position, movements of repetition were associated with MSS
in different body parts. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MSS and the
resultant disruption of regular activities among rural women indicate that
ergonomic attention is needed to improve their well-being.
