Study of Ergonomic Risk Factors and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Discomfort Among Informal Workers : A Case Study of Silk Weaving Occupation in Khwao Sinarin District, Surin Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), assess ergonomic risk levels, and examine the associations between personal factors, work-related factors, psychosocial factors, ergonomic risk levels, and WMSDs occurrence among silk-weaving workers in Khwao Sinarin District, Surin Province. The study was conducted from February 2025 to January 2026. A total of 162 silk-weaving workers were recruited using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with a content validity index (CVI) of 0.92 and a Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.88. Working posture was assessed using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), which demonstrated high inter-rater and test-retest reliability (r = 0.85 and 0.89, respectively). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while associations between variables were examined using Pearson’s Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate, with the significance level set at 0.05.

            The results showed that the majority of participants were female (98.10%), aged 50–59 years (56.20%), and had more than 10 years of work experience (82.10%). The overall prevalence of WMSDs was 70.99% (115/162) affected, compared with 29.01% (47/162) unaffected. Ergonomic risk assessment using RULA indicated that most workers were at a high risk level, with 72.80% and 73.50% classified as high risk on the left and right sides, respectively, and no workers were classified as low risk. However, no statistically significant associations were found between personal factors, work-related factors, psychosocial factors, ergonomic risk levels, and WMSDs occurrence (p-values ranged from 0.095 to 1.000). The imbalanced distribution of several variables may have reduced statistical power. These findings indicated that silk-weaving workers faced a considerable ergonomic risk burden and a relatively high prevalence of WMSDs. Although no statistically significant associations were identified, the posture assessment results highlighted the need to improve workstation design, working posture, and community-based ergonomic promotion measures to prevent future work-related health problems among informal sector workers.