Relationship between risk factors at workplace and upper limb work-related musculoskeletal pain among poultry slaughterhouse workers: A cross‑sectional study
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Poultry slaughterhouse workers (PSW) are exposed to various risk factors at work that contributes to upper limb work-related musculoskeletal pain (UL-WMSP) at workplace.
Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between various risk factors at workplace and UL-WMSP among PSW.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Thailand among 98 PSW (52 women and 46 men). A self-reported form was used to collect demographic factors and job task profile among PSW. Rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) was used to evaluate the risk of poor posture at work. The relationship between the risk factors and prevalence of UL-WMSP was evaluated through univariate logistic regression analysis (AMSEC-64EX-112).
Results: About 86.7% (N=85) of PSW reported UL-WMSP over the last 12 months, and 68.4% (N=67) reported UL-WMSP during the period of the last 7 days. Around 91.8% (N=90) of PSW exhibited a poor posture at work with RULA scores at 7 or more indicating a high level of risk for UL-WMSP. Risk factors such as age (p<0.04) was significantly related with prevalence of UL-WMSP over the period of the last 7 days. A significant relationship was also found between job tasks such as poultry abdominal slitting task (p<0.02), poultry cutting-up task (p<0.03), types of tool use (p<0.01), poor posture (p<0.01) and prevalence of UL-WMSP over the last 12 months.
Conclusion: Risk factors such as age, job tasks and poor posture are related to UL-WMSP among PSW at workplace. There is an essential need to develop musculoskeletal health and wellbeing program for the PSW to reduce UL-WMSP at the workplace and to create a healthy working environment.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Personal views expressed by the contributors in their articles are not necessarily those of the Journal of Associated Medical Sciences, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University.
References
Bertozzi L, Villafañe JH, Capra F, Reci M, Pillastrini P. Effect of an exercise programme for the prevention of back and neck pain in poultry slaughterhouse workers. Occup Ther Int. 2015; 22(1): 36-42. doi: 10.1002/oti. 1382.
Caieiro TTM, de Assis DB, Mininel VA, Rocha FLR, Hortense P. Musculoskeletal pain: comparison between administrative and production employees of a poultry farming company. Rev Bras Med Trab. 2020; 17(1): 30-8. doi: 10.5327/Z1679443520190277.
Sowcharoensuk C. Industry Outlook 2020-2022: Frozen and processed chicken. 2022 [cited 2023 July 26]. Available from: https://www.krungsri.com/th/research/ industry/industry-outlook/food-beverage/frozenprocessed-chicken/io/io-frozen-processed-chicken.
Tirloni AS, Reis DCD, Borgatto AF, Moro ARP. Association between perception of bodily discomfort and individual and work organisational factors in Brazilian slaughterhouse workers: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2019; 9(2): e022824. doi: 10.1136/ bmjopen-2018-022824.
Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). National income of Thailand 2020, chain volume measures. 2021 [cited 2023 Sep 5]. Available from: https://www.nesdc.go.th/ewt_dl_link. php?nid=12298&filename=ni_page.
Dias NF, Tirloni AS, Reis DCD, Moro ARP. Risk of slaughterhouse workers developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders in different organizational working conditions. Int J Ind Ergon. 2020; 76: 102929. doi: 10.1016/j.ergon.2020.102929.
Harmse JL, Engelbrecht JC, Bekker JL. The impact of physical and ergonomic hazards on poultry abattoir processing workers: a review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016; 13(2): 197. doi: 10.3390/ijerph13020197.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Prevention of musculoskeletal injuries in poultry processing. 2013 [cited 2023 July 21]. Available from: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3213.pdf.
Tirloni AS, Reis DCD, Ramos E, Moro ARP. Association of bodily discomfort with occupational risk factors in poultry slaughterhouse workers. DYNA. 2017; 84(202): 49-54. doi: 10.15446/dyna. v84n202.62168.
Hancharoenkul B, Joseph L, Khamwong P, Pirunsan U. An investigation of the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal pain and related disability among poultry slaughterhouse workers: a cross-sectional study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2022; 96(3): 463-72. doi: 10.1007/s00420-022-01940-x.
Reis DCD, Tirloni AS, Ramos E, Moro ARP. Assessment of risk factors of upper-limb musculoskeletal disorders in a chicken slaughterhouse. Jpn J Ergon. 2017; 53 (Suppl 2): S458-S61. doi: 10.5100/jje.53.S458.
Reis PF, Peres L, Tirloni AS, Reis DCD, Estrázulas JA, Rossato M, Moro ARP. Influence of anthropometry on meat-packing plant workers: an approach to the shoulder joint. Work. 2012; 41(Suppl 1): 4612-7. doi: 10.3233/wor-2012-0077-4612.
Rosenbaum DA, Grzywacz JG, Chen H, Arcury TA, Schulz MR, Blocker JN, et al. Prevalence of epicondylitis, rotator cuff syndrome, and low back pain in latino poultry workers and manual laborers. Am J Ind Med. 2013; 56(2): 226-34. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22127.
Sundstrup E, Jakobsen MD, Brandt M, Jay K, Aagaard P, Andersen LL. Associations between biopsychosocial factors and chronic upper limb pain among slaughterhouse workers: cross sectional study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2016; 17: 104. doi: 10.1186/ s12891-016-0953-7.
Andersen LL, Fallentin N, Thorsen SV, Holtermann A. Physical workload and risk of long-term sickness absence in the general working population and among blue-collar workers: prospective cohort study with register follow-up. Occup Environ Med. 2016; 73(4): 246-53. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2015-103314.
World Health Organization. Preventing disease through a healthier and safer workspace. 2018 [cited 2023 Jan 9]. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/ i/item/preventing-disease-through-a-healthier-andsafer-workspace.
Yoshimoto T, Oka H, Fujii T, Nagata T, Matsudaira K. The economic burden of lost productivity due to presenteeism caused by health conditions among workers in Japan. J Occup Environ Med. 2020; 62(10): 883-8. doi: 10.1097/jom.0000000000002001.
Young AE, Viikari-Juntura E, Boot CR, Chan C, Gimeno Ruiz de Porras D, Linton SJ. Workplace outcomes in work-disability prevention research: a review with recommendations for future research. J Occup Rehabil. 2016; 26(4): 434-47. doi:10.1007/s10926-016-9675-9.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Managing risks and risk assessment at work. 2024. [cited 2024 May 10]. Available from: https://www.hse.gov.uk/simplehealth-safety/risk/index.htm?utm_source=hse.gov. uk&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=guidancepush&utm_term=risk&utm_content=home-pagepopular.
Oliver M, Rodham K, Taylor J, McIver C. Understanding the psychological and social influences on office workers taking breaks; a thematic analysis. Psychol Health. 2021; 36(3): 351-66. doi: 10.1080/08870446. 2020.1764954.
The National Chicken Council (NCC). Worker safety. 2022 [cited 2023 Aug 10]. Available from: https://www. nationalchickencouncil.org/policy/worker-safety/.
van Oostrom SH, Driessen MT, de Vet HC, Franche RL, Schonstein E, Loisel P, et al. Workplace interventions for preventing work disability. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009; 2: Cd006955. doi: 10.1002/14651858. CD006955.pub2.
van Vilsteren M, van Oostrom SH, de Vet HC, Franche RL, Boot CR, Anema JR. Workplace interventions to prevent work disability in workers on sick leave. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015; 10: Cd006955. https://doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006955.pub3.
Vogel N, Schandelmaier S, Zumbrunn T, Ebrahim S, de Boer WE, Busse JW, et al. Return-to-work coordination programmes for improving return to work in workers on sick leave. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017; 3(3): CD011618. doi: 10.1002/14651858. CD011618.pub2.
World Health Organization. The Asia-Pacific perspective: redefining obesity and its treatment. 2000 [cited 2021 Sep 8]. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/ bitstream/handle/10665/206936/0957708211_eng.pdf.
Pugh JD, Gelder L, Williams AM, Twigg DE, Wilkinson AM, Blazevich AJ. Validity and reliability of an online extended version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ-E2) to measure nurses’ fitness. J Clin Nurs. 2015; 24(23-24): 3550-63. doi: 10.1111/ jocn.12971.
Kee D. An empirical comparison of OWAS, RULA and REBA based on self-reported discomfort. Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2020; 26(2): 285-95. doi: 10.1016/j.ergon. 2021.103140.
Krejcie RV, Morgan DW. Determining sample size for research activities. Educ Psychol Meas. 1970; 30(3): 607-10. doi: 10.1177/001316447003000308.
Arcury TA, Cartwright MS, Chen H, Rosenbaum DA, Walker FO, Mora DC, et al. Musculoskeletal and neurological injuries associated with work organization among immigrant Latino women manual workers in North Carolina. Am J Ind Med. 2014; 57(4): 468-75. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22298.
Norheim KL, Samani A, Bonlokke JH, Omland O, Madeleine P. The effects of age and musculoskeletal pain on force variability among manual workers. Hum Mov Sci. 2019; 64: 19-27. doi: 10.1016/j.humov. 2018.12.006.
Tudorascu I, Sfredel V, Riza AL, Danciulescu Miulescu R, Ianosi SL, Danoiu S. Motor unit changes in normal aging: a brief review. Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2014; 55(4): 1295-301. PMID: 25611259.
Tirloni AS, Reis DCD, dos Santos JB, Reis PF, Barbosa A, Moro ARP. Body discomfort in poultry slaughterhouse workers. Work. 2012; 41(Suppl 1): 2420-5. doi: 10.3233/ WOR-2012-0651-2420.
Kee D, Na S, Chung MK. Comparison of the Ovako Working Posture Analysis System, Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, and Rapid Entire Body Assessment based on the maximum holding times. Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2020; 77(4): 102943. doi: 10.1016/j.ergon. 2020.102943.
Nordin M, Pope MH, Andersson G. Musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace: principles and practice. 2nd Ed. Philadelphia: Mosby Elsevier; 2007.
Sanders MJ. Ergonomics and the management of musculoskeletal disorders. 2nd Ed. Saint Louis: Butterworth- Heinemann; 2004.
Oakman J, Chan S. Risk management: where should we target strategies to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders?. Saf Sci. 2015; 73: 99- 105. doi: 10.1016/j.ssci.2014.11.026.
Sundstrup E, Seeberg KGV, Bengtsen E, Andersen LL. A systematic review of workplace interventions to rehabilitate musculoskeletal disorders among employees with physical demanding work. J Occup Rehabil. 2020; 30(4): 588-612. doi: 10.1007/s10926- 020-09879-x.
Carolan S, Harris PR, Cavanagh K. Improving employee well-being and effectiveness: systematic review and meta-analysis of web-based psychological interventions delivered in the workplace. J Med Internet Res. 2017; 19(7): e271. doi: 10.2196/jmir.7583.
Tarro L, Llauradó E, Ulldemolins G, Hermoso P, Solà R. Effectiveness of workplace interventions for improving absenteeism, productivity, and work ability of employees: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17(6): 1901. doi: 10.3390/ijerph 17061901.