Relationships between Work-Related Factors and Repetitive Strain Injury in Silver Carving Workers at Wualai Silverware Village, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

Background: Health problems caused by an occupation tend to have increased in Thailand. Silver carving is one of those careers that requires repetitive body motion and trunk posture. This may harm the musculoskeletal system.
Objective: To determine relationships between factors relevant to working condition and the repetitive strain injury among silver carving workers in Wualai silverware village.
Material and method: An analytical predictive study was conducted among the silver carving workers in Wualai silverware village, Chiang Mai. Fifty-eight participants were enrolled in the study by purposive sampling from October 2014 to September 2015. The collected data included demographic data, body parts and factors related to repetitive strain injury. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and multiple regression.
Results: Most of the participants were male (65.5%). The mean age was 43.4 ± 7.7 years (range, 25-59). The mean number of years spent carving silver was 18.8 ± 6.9 years (range, 3-28). The predicting factors for repetitive neck injury were frequent side-bending/twisting of the trunk and prolonged neck flexion/extension, for shoulder injury was prolonged neck flexion/extension, and for hand and wrist injury was frequent flexion/extension of the wrist joint. The predicting factors for repetitive injury of the upper back were frequent side-bending/twisting of the trunk and working overtime on night shift, for lower back was prolonged sitting in the same position, for hip and thigh were long-timed sitting in the same position and working overtime on night shift.
Conclusion: Work related factors affected the health status of silver carving workers. Educating and raising awareness of prevention techniques among these individuals may reduce these problems in the community.