Musculoskeletal Disorders among Sugar Factory Workers in Jinja-Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Globally, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) combined account for more than a fifth of the total years lived with disability. This condition affects workers alone and people across the life-course in all regions of the world. Despite this long-standing awareness, MSDs continue to be the main reason associated with people with a work-related illness. The aim of this study is to explore the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among workers in sugar factories in Jinja-Uganda. Methodology: This study implored a cross-sectional study design among the sugar factory workers considering their baseline data. A structured, standardized questionnaire Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to capture the data. A sample size of 402 was divided equally among two sugar factories, A and B. Ethical approvals were sought from the relevant bodies before conducting the study. Results: The quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 26, a descriptive statistic such as mean, standard deviation, percentages, and frequencies was conducted. A higher prevalence of 77.1% was reported among Factory A and 28.4% in Factory B in 12 months. The respondents were the lower back region, 63.7%, and the upper back region, 46.3%, was the most affected body region. An independent t-test showed statistical differences between the following variables in both factories; age (p = 0.000), BMI (p = 0.000), duration of work in the field per day (p = 0.033), systolic (p = 0.000), and diastolic rate (p = 0.000). Conclusion: This study revealed a very high prevalence among the sugar factory workers due to high ergonomic risk exposure during respondents' work activities. Due to the recorded high prevalence, an ergonomic intervention among the workers to enhance their wellness by addressing