Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Brewery Workers in South-west Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) occur when workers are repeatedly exposed to forceful and prolonged activities in awkward postures, disproportionate force, abnormal movement, vibration, unsympathetic environments, and psychological stress. Aim: To describe the pattern of WRMSD and its consequences on workers at a brewery in southwest Nigeria. Study Design: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among brewery workers in Southwest, Nigeria. Methods: Ethical approval was granted by the research and ethics committee of the University. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire to cover 4 sections of interest to the researchers. Collected data were analyzed using relevant statistical software. Results: 69% of the respondents had WRMSD with work-related functional impairment mostly manifesting as back pain (65.2%) which was managed with several strategies including the use of over the counter medication (21%). The most common etiology of MSDs among brewery workers was awkward positioning while performing their duties (25.4%). Conclusion: Our study showed that increasing age and years of service in the brewery significantly affected the development of MSD (p<0.05). MSD is common in brewery workers hence occupational health services and education should be incorporated into small and medium scale industries with perhaps subsidy from the government for their services, so as to reduce the burden of MSDs and improve the quality of life of workers.