PREVALENCE OF WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AMONG CASHIERS IN SELANGOR, MALAYSIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

To determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and risk factors among cashiers working in supermarkets. A cross-sectional study used a self-administered questionnaire comprising a Nordic Questionnaire and a Perceived Stress Scale among cashiers who were working in the supermarkets in Selangor with at least one year of work experience. A total of 162 subjects participated in the survey and 132 individuals (81.5%) reported that they had musculoskeletal symptoms in the last 12 months. The most affected body regions were the shoulders (95, 58.6%), followed by the neck (80, 49.4%), low back (79, 48.8%), and upper back (67, 41.4%). The predictors of shoulder symptoms were age, ethnicity, BMI, and height of check stand (p = 0.003, 0.031, 0.02, and 0.049); the predictor of neck symptoms was ethnicity (p = 0.031); predictors of low back symptoms were age, ethnicity, stress, and absence of anti-fatigue mat (0.003, 0.006, 0.042 and 0.036); and the predictors of the upper back were age, gender, and ethnicity (0.004, 0.043 and 0.042). The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was high among cashiers, the shoulder was the most affected followed by the neck, low back, and upper back regions. In conclusion, utmost care should be given to areas that are at high risk for developing work-related musculoskeletal Disorders and cashiers must use the correct posture during working with appropriate breaks to reduce the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders among cashiers.