Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Painters- A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Musculoskeletal disorders are considered to be one of the major sources of discomfort and pain among painters. This is due the poor ergonomics and bad posture assumed during the working hours. Objective: To determine the prevalence of Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among painters. Methodology: It was cross sectional study conducted among the painters from Lahore and Sialkot after ethical approval from the Institutional Ethical Review Committee of Superior College Lahore. A sample of n= 282 painters with age ranging from 18 to 45 years was included in the study. A pre-determined validated Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to assess for MSDs. SPSS version V.22 was used and frequencies were calculated. Result: There were n=282 painters, among them the study comprised of n=111 (39.4%) male and n=171(60.5%) female painters with mean age of 26.69±5.57 years. There were n=168(59.6%) had discomfort or pain in shoulder in last 12 months. While n=227 (80.5%) had discomfort in neck in last 7 days. On upper back, n=202(71.6%) had discomfort or numbness in last 12 months while n=216(76.6%) had discomfort in last 7 days. Conclusion: This study concluded that neck is the most affected region among the painters followed by the upper back and shoulder region. Key Words: Musculoskeletal disorders, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), Pain, Painters, Prevalence