Abstract
BackgroundWork-related musculoskeletal disorders impose a significant and most often underappreciated burden to the individual, nation, healthcare system, and society as a whole. To the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of reliable estimates on the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Ethiopia. The objective of this study will be to assess the existing literature on the prevalence rates and determinant factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Ethiopia.MethodWe will search PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, PEDro, and Ebsco (from January 2000 onwards). Gray literature will be identified through searching Google Scholar and dissertation databases. Observational studies reporting on the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among adult Ethiopians will be included. The primary outcome will be the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Secondary outcomes will be the prevalence of any risk factors in association with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. The study methodological quality (or bias) will be appraised using an appropriate tool. If feasible, we will conduct random effects meta-analysis of observational data. Subgroup analyses will be conducted to explore the potential sources of heterogeneity (e.g., gender, sample size, type of occupation). Publication bias and heterogeneity between the included studies will also be assessed and reported.DiscussionThis systematic review will provide a synthesis of the literature on the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and their risk factors in Ethiopia. The results of this review could help the policymakers in occupational health and healthcare sectors in identifying priority areas for interventions in work-related musculoskeletal disorders and will also serve as a baseline for the decision-making processes of musculoskeletal health promotion, work exposure implementations, and prevention programs in workplaces.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO, CRD42020164240
Highlights
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders impose a significant and most often underappreciated burden to the individual, nation, healthcare system, and society as a whole
This systematic review will provide a synthesis of the literature on the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and their risk factors in Ethiopia
The results of this review could help the policymakers in occupational health and healthcare sectors in identifying priority areas for interventions in work-related musculoskeletal disorders and will serve as a baseline for the decision-making processes of musculoskeletal health promotion, work exposure implementations, and prevention programs in workplaces
Summary
Institutional and population-based studies on work-related musculoskeletal disorders have grown in Ethiopia. This review will synthesize all possible available information for occupational health policymakers, healthcare workers, and identify priority areas for interventions in work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Ethiopia. This will be the first systematic review and meta-analysis that will determine the pooled prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among the adult working population in Ethiopia. The rationale for the need to conduct this review is the previous two Africanbased reviews reporting on WRMSDs (2015) and low back pain (2007) were limited by not including any studies from Ethiopia [14, 38] and in addition, Ethiopianspecific factors like social structure, genetic diversity, nutritional status, and work culture will surely add more insight on the Ethiopian working population. We will strive to mitigate these anticipated and future challenges by highlighting decision criteria, limitations, gaps in knowledge, and caution in the interpretation of findings
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