Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and their influencing factors among workers in a furniture factory

Background Furniture manufacturing is one of the typical labor-intensive industries, and workers in this industry face a high risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), which seriously affect the physical and mental health of workers.

Objective To explore the prevalence and potential risk factors of WMSDs among workers in a large-scale furniture manufacturing factory.

Methods A cross-sectional study of 3431 workers in a furniture factory in Guangdong Province was conducted from September to December 2019. Information including reported WMSDs in various body parts in the past year, demographic characteristics, work organization factors, job characteristics, and work postures was collected by an electronic version of Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire. Pearson χ² test and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors leading to WMSDs.

Results The overall prevalence rate of WMSDs was 32.12% (1102/3431). The most common WMSDs symptoms occurred in the neck (16.85%), followed by the feet (15.27%), shoulders (14.81%), and hands (14.25%). The prevalence rates of WMSDs in the neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, legs, and feet were significantly different among different types of work (P<0.05). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that individual factors, work organization factors, job characteristics, and awkward work postures were associated with the frequency of reporting WMSDs in specific parts of workers. Comparatively poor physical health (including moderate, poor, and very poor) was positively correlated with neck, shoulder, hand, and foot WMSDs (OR=1.479-4.077); working with an uncomfortable posture (OR=1.983) and doing the same task almost every day (OR=1.783) were positively correlated with neck pain; doing the same task almost every day (OR=2.408) and neck twisting for a long time (OR=1.830) were positively correlated with shoulder pain; bending wrists up and down frequently (OR=1.948) and bending wrists for a long time (OR=2.081) were positively correlated with hand pain; prolonged standing (OR=1.953) and often working overtime (OR=1.627) were positively correlated with feet pain; sufficient rest time was negatively correlated with WMSDs in the neck, shoulders, hands, and foot (OR=0.544-0.717).

Conclusion The prevalence rate of WMSDs in furniture manufacturing workers is relatively high, and neck, feet, shoulders, and hands are the most involved body parts. The frequency of reporting WMSDs is related to individual factors, work organization factors, job characteristics, and awkward work postures.