The Impact of Musculoskeletal Pain on the Quality of Life of Farmers in the Volta Region of Ghana

Abstract

The incidence of musculoskeletal (MSK) pain among farmers in Ghana is high. In the Volta Region, where the proposed research was conducted, MSK pain is among the top three most reported cases at the Ho Teaching Hospital. While the number of cases is known and treated at the hospital, the root causes are not. The proposed study investigated the effects of MSK pain on the quality of life (QoL) of farmers in the Region, to determine whether the age and sex of farmers in the Volta Region have any relationship with QoL, and to determine whether their knowledge about MSD and QoL was adequate to inform on its management. A total of 212 farmers were selected for the study without any particular order. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted to obtain the demographic and socioeconomic status of the participants. Both qualitative and quantitative statistical methods were used to determine the impact of MSK pain on QoL, the relationship between age/sex and QoL and if the farmers in the Volta Region think they have enough knowledge about their MSDs and are confident in managing them. The study found that the QoL among the farmers was very low. The farmers' QoL was below the average grouped quality of life and about 26.5% can be said to be clearly above the average grouped quality of life. MSK pains have had a huge toll on the quality of life of Volta Region farmers affecting about 73.5% of the respondent farmers. Keywords: DALY, HRQoL, NMQ, MSK-HQ, MSK, Musculoskeletal pain, Quality of Life, Farmers in Ghana.