Abstract
ObjectiveOver the course of the twenty-first century, work-related musculoskeletal disorders are still persisting among blue collar workers. At present, no epidemiological overview exists. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed on the epidemiology of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) within Europe’s secondary industries.MethodsFive databases were screened, yielding 34 studies for the qualitative analysis and 17 for the quantitative analysis. Twelve subgroups of WMSDs were obtained for the meta-analysis by means of predefined inclusion criteria: back (overall), upper back, lower back, neck, shoulder, neck/shoulder, elbow, wrist/hand, leg (overall), hip, knee, and ankle/feet.ResultsThe most prevalent WMSDs were located at the back (overall), shoulder/neck, neck, shoulder, lower back and wrist WMSDs with mean 12-month prevalence values of 60, 54, 51, 50, 47, and 42%, respectively. The food industry was in the majority of subgroups the most prominent researched sector and was frequently associated with high prevalence values of WMSDs. Incidence ratios of upper limb WMSDs ranged between 0.04 and 0.26. Incidence ratios could not be calculated for other anatomical regions due to the lack of sufficient articles.ConclusionWMSDs are still highly present among blue collar workers. Relatively high prevalence values and low incidence ratios indicate a limited onset of WMSDs with however long-term complaints.
Highlights
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are impairments of the musculoskeletal system, primarily caused by the performance of work tasks and the direct environment in which work is carried out [1]
Known for converting raw materials into products for the consumer, comprise several risk factors that contribute to the development of WMSDs [2]
In European industries, work absenteeism is reported in more than 50% of employees affected by WMSDs, which is significantly higher than in workers infected by the influenza virus (10–12%) [1, 6, 7]
Summary
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are impairments of the musculoskeletal system, primarily caused by the performance of work tasks and the direct environment in which work is carried out [1]. Known for converting raw materials into products for the consumer, comprise several risk factors that contribute to the development of WMSDs [2]. In addition to the substantial socio-economic impact, the individual employee has to pay a relatively high price as well, with studies reporting a significant decreased quality of life in people suffering from musculoskeletal disorders [8, 9]. Despite these known negative consequences, a clear epidemiological overview of WMSDs in European secondary industries is missing
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