Musculoskeletal Disorders Prevalence among Sewing Machine Operators of Sewing Workplaces in Kerman City

Abstract

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are one of greatest occupational problems in industrialized and developing countries, and whereas becoming switches to major challenge between worker and employers. The aim of present study was determination the prevalence musculoskeletal disorders among sewing machine operators of sewing workplaces in Kerman. In this cross-sectional study, 297 workers that working in 170 sewing workplaces in Kerman as research population by census method were selected. Nordic Questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were analyzed using Chi-square statistical test under SPSS 16 software. In this study 50.5 percent of subjects in the past 12 months and 34.3 percent of them in during one week before the study had experienced discomfort or pain at least in one body part. Highest frequency symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders was observed in lower back, later than the lower back, knee, upper back, neck and ankles had highest frequent. Also, in this study a significant relationship between musculoskeletal disorders of lower back, shoulder, neck and tailors work experience were obtained. Results of this study did show that workplace is the most important cause of the incidence musculoskeletal disorders in tailors under research. Therefore, the interventional programs include optimizing the design of workstations and chairs used in sewing workplace and also providing ergonomic principles training courses for improving work conditions of workers that working in sewing workplaces should be considered.