Work related musculoskeletal disorders among hospital porters, Nakornping Hospital, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

          Work Related Musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) composed of a large part of occupational diseases in health workers, prevention of which was dependent on assessment and improvement of working postures by means of ergonomic interventions. The objectives were to study risky working positions, the prevalence of WMSDs, and to investigate the relationships between risky working positions and WMSDs in various structural organs among hospital porters, Nakornping Hospital, Chiang Mai province. This descriptive – correlation research was performed among 30 hospital porters using the method of Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). The prevalence of WMSDs was obtained by the design of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). The prevalence of WMSDs for different body parts were 66.7% for the lower back, 50.0% for the thighs, 46.7% for the upper back and the ankle, 43.3% for the shoulder and the knees, 30.0% for the neck, 16.7% for the wrist, and 6.7% for the elbow. Job analysis by the use of REBA showed that 100.0% of the population had a score > 4. The lower back (OR = 4.39, 95% CI = 6.54 - 1017.14), the knees (OR = 2.84, 95% CI = 1.79 - 163.80) and the ankle (OR = 3.08, 95% CI = 6.54 - 1017.14) were statistically significant relationship with the risk levels obtained using the REBA method. Therefore, Hospital porters should be advised to adjust working postures and exercises regularly. Work station should be improved. The hospital should have policy regarding overtime job of hospital porters.