Association between musculoskeletal disorders in the lower limbs and occupational stress in bus drivers

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the lower limbs and occupational stress in bus drivers, as well as the association between occupational stress and MSDs in the lower limbs, and to provide a reference for the prevention and control of MSDs in the lower limbs in bus drivers. Methods: Cluster sampling was used to collect 598 bus drivers from those who underwent physical examination in a hospital in Chengdu, China, from June to July, 2015. The data on demographic features and living habits were collected, and the Chinese version of effort-reward imbalance questionnaire and Nordic Standardized Questionnaires for Musculoskeletal Disorders were used to investigate occupational stress and the development of MSDs. Results: In these bus drivers, the prevalence of MSDs in the lower limbs was 51.2%, and that in the thigh/hip, ankle/foot, and knee was 36.8%, 32.2%, and 31.4%, respectively. The multivariate regression analysis showed that effort-reward imbalance was the risk factor for MSDs in the lower limbs, and the OR values for the lower limbs, thigh/hip, knee, and ankle/foot were 3.96 (95% CI: 2.19~7.18) , 3.86 (95% CI: 2.05~7.28) , 2.47 (95% CI: 1.30~4.70) , and 2.45 (95% CI: 1.32~4.56) , respectively. Conclusion: Occupational stress is associated with an increased risk of MSDs in the lower limbs in bus drivers.