A Cross-sectional Study of Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Risk Factors in Cambodian Fruit Farm Workers in Eastern Region, Thailand

BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are accumulative disorders that are most frequently found in agricultural farmers. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that affect symptoms resulting from work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Cambodian farm workers working in fruit plantations in the eastern region of Thailand. METHODS: The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, and Hazard Zone Jobs Checklist techniques were used to interview 861 farmers who participated in the study. RESULTS: The data showed that men who had been working for >10 years were more at risk of neck pain than those working for 10 years experienced lower back pain with aOR 8.13, 95% CI (1.04, 63.74), compared with those who had been working for <1 year. Men whose tasks required raising the arms above shoulder height had a risk factor contributing to neck pain of aOR 1.68, 95% CI (1.08, 2.61) when compared with those who did not work with this posture, and women had aOR 1.82, 95% CI (1.07, 3.12) when compared with those who did not work with this posture. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that work-related health conditions are monitored in migrant plantation workers to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal disorders.

The Military Recruits Training Program Evaluation during Hot Humid Environment

The purpose of this study was developing the military recruit training program. The data was collected within 2 sampling groups. The first group was 20 trainers who were interviewed in the present training program. The second group was the 20 military recruits. The physiological data was studied, including the auxiliary temperature, heart rate and hot feelings. The environment during training also was collected by wet bulb globe temperature, relative humidity percentage and velocity. The period of study was the first three days of period 4th (13-15 February 2007). The data was analyzed in 3 parts. The first part was metabolism rate of training compared with ISO 7243-1987. The second part was the frequency and percentage of the interviewes data. The last part was the average and standard division of physiological and environmental data. The results indicated that: during the differential weather, most of trainers (95%) considered changing the position of filed training, time period decrease and an increase of the rest time. Importantly, the result showed 5 percent of trainers still waited for the commander to make the decision. Looking at details of the training program, it was found that the recruits were using the differential metabolism rating. During the 3 days of field practice, the physiological effect showed an increasing auxiliary temperature at the second hour, then decrease at the third and fourth hour each day. The heart rate was found to be highly increasing from the first to third hour but it slightly decreased at the fourth hour. The hot feelings showed nothing at the first and some little increase at the later hours. The environment during training indicated the mean wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) around 29.7-30.9°C, the relative humidity 68-79% and the velocity about 1.1-1.7 m/s. As a result of the study, the training program should start from the indoor theory study at the first week and then shift to outdoor exercises. Afterward the military field training should start from the low metabolism rate usage. Importantly, the program should give the recruits soldier to expose the outdoor weather increase 20% each day for acclimatization.

Effects of Stress on Occupational Injuries among the Workers at Automobile Body Parts Industry in Chonburi Province

This study aimed to measure the effect of stress on occupational injuries among automobile body parts industrial workers by controlling extraneous variables such as sex, age personality, department, and physical working conditions. The subjects comprised 130 cases and 130 controls. Cases were the workers who had injuries during the study period (February to April 2009). Controls were the workers with no injury during and prior to the study period for 2 months. The controls were recruited and matched with cases by sex, age (not more than 5 years difference), and department. Data were collected by interview. The reliability of the instrument for personality was 0.707 and for stress was 0.909 (Cronbach’s alpha). Data were described by numbers, percentages, averages and standard deviation and analyzed for association by Odds ratio (95%CI), chi-square test, and multiple logistic regressions.                This study found that 1) among 130 cases, the average of injuries during the study period was 2 times higher. The major cause of injury was struck by the object (46.2%). Most of injured organs were hand and fingers (38.5%). Most injuries were mild lacerated wounds (36.9%). After first aid at nursing unit they could go back to continue working (86.2%). 2) Most of the cases had high stress level (33.8%) but most of the controls had moderate stress level (36.2%). It was found that stress was a risk factor to injury with Crude Odds Ratio (ORc) = 3.78 (95%CI=1.56, 9.15) and Adjusted Odds Ratio (ORa) = 3.86 (95%CI=1.58, 9.42) respectively.                The study indicated that stress was an important risk factor of occupational injury. Therefore, administrators and safety officers should find out the causes of stress and develop activities to relief stress among workers to decrease occupational injury.