Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in construction workers in Saudi Arabia.

Ahmad Alghadir,Shahnawaz Anwer

doi:10.1155/2015/529873

Abstract

The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence, characteristics, and distribution of musculoskeletal pain among construction workers in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire about musculoskeletal pain in different parts of the body was completed by 165 construction workers from the construction industries in Dammam and Riyadh cities. The descriptive data were analyzed using chi-square test. The level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Eighty (48.5%) of the responding workers had pain in neck, shoulders, lower back, hand, knee, or ankle. The majority of respondents had low back pain (50%) followed by knee pain (20%). The average intensity of pain at all sites during activity and rest was 6.65 and 3.59, respectively. Thirty-four (42.5%) respondents had dull aching pain and 24 (30%) had cramping pain. There was an association between years of experience, duration of break during work, and use of protective equipment with the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in construction workers (P < 0.05). Most of the workers complaining of pain got medical treatment (62.5%) and only 25% received physical therapy. It can be concluded from this study that the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among construction workers in Saudi Arabia is high.

Highlights

Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is one of the prevailing occupational health problems, and workers in the construction industry have potential risk of MSP
The high intensity of pain during activity and at rest in the present study suggests that construction workers are at risk of severe musculoskeletal disorders
The present study found an association between years of experience, duration of break during work, and use of protective equipment with the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in construction workers

Summary

Introduction

Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is one of the prevailing occupational health problems, and workers in the construction industry have potential risk of MSP. The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms involving one or more body regions is higher in construction workers [1]. The load of physical work associated with awkward prolong working postures and manual handling of materials by the construction workers can cause various musculoskeletal pains and disorders [2]. In the US a nationwide health interview survey showed that construction workers are the highest risk group for work-related low-back pain [4]. In a British study, the 1-year cumulative incidence of low-back pain was 40% for construction workers as compared with 28% for managers [5]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion