No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Predictors and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among sewing machine operators
Abstract
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a common and most often disabling problem among sewing machine operators and associated to work related factors. The aim of study was to determine work related and individual risk factors and the prevalence of MSDs among sewing machine operators and describe relationships between risk factors and MSDs. The data were collected in random sample method, using parts of a standardized CUPID (Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability) questionnaire. The questions were focused on occurrence of MSDs in different body regions, in the past year and past month. The respondents assessed pain in the neck, lower back, and both on the right and left side of shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands and knees. The questions about individual, physiological and psychological risk factors and health behaviour were included. The response rate was 43.9%, from 130 sewing machine operators fifty seven of them responded to the questionnaire. They all were women, in mean age 44.4 ± 8.6 years and with average body mass index (BMI) 26.8 ± 6.6 kg m⁻². The majority had work experience more than 5 years. Sewing work is monotonous, in steady sitting position, with repetitive movements in elbow, wrist and fingers during a whole workday. The most of respondents (93%) have reported poor autonomy to decide over the working schedule and 75.4% had low decision latitude over what and how to do work. The majority of sewing machine operators get support from the colleagues and management. Musculoskeletal pain at least in one body site was measured in 91.2% of cases in the past 12 months and among 82.5% of respondents in the past month. More than half of participants reported pain in three or more body sites. The most often pain regions were lower back (66.7%), neck (61.4%), wrist/hand (50.9%) and shoulders (42.1%) in the past year, and neck (45.6%) in the past month. Pearson correlation analysis showed positive relationships between lower back pain and poor autonomy (p = 0.02) and BMI (p = 0.05) and repetitive elbow bending was related to neck and wrist/hand pain (p = 0.05, in both). Regular smoking was related to wrist/hand pain (p = 0.003). In conclusion, high prevalence of MSDs among the sewing machine operators has observed, whereas lower back, neck, wrist and shoulders were the most often reported pain regions. Lower back pain correlated positively with BMI and autonomy, smoking with wrist/hand pain and repeated upper limb movements with neck and elbow pain.
... A typical sewing workstation is designed in a manner that forces workers to adopt a forward-leaning posture while operating foot pedals and managing fabric. This posture, combined with the static nature of the task, exacerbates the strain on the musculoskeletal system, particularly in the upper body (5). The prevalence of neck and shoulder pain has been shown to increase with years of employment as a sewing machine operator. ...
... A significant portion of the study population (35%) had been suffering from pain for more than two years, highlighting the chronic nature of these disorders among sewing machine operators. This finding aligns with research conducted by Merisalu et al., which reported that the prevalence of persistent neck and shoulder pain increased with the number of years spent in the profession (5). The chronicity of these conditions can lead to long-term disability, decreased quality of life, and increased reliance on medication, as evidenced by the 30% of participants in this study who were taking medication for pain management. ...
Background: Neck and shoulder pain are prevalent among sewing machine operators due to prolonged static postures and repetitive movements, leading to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs).Objective: This study aimed to determine the frequency and characteristics of neck and shoulder pain among sewing machine operators in Rahim Yar Khan City.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2019. A total of 100 sewing machine operators were selected using a convenient sampling technique. Participants with at least four years of work experience and daily work of 8 hours in a sitting posture were included. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire covering demographic information, work hours, pain characteristics, and medication usage. SPSS version 25 was used for data analysis, with descriptive statistics and p-values for significance.Results: The mean age was 31 ± 11.56 years. Forty-three percent of operators reported shoulder pain, and 8% had both neck and shoulder pain. Pain was bilateral in 43%, with 35% suffering for over 2 years. Thirty percent used medication for pain relief (p = 0.001).Conclusion: A significant prevalence of neck and shoulder pain exists among sewing machine operators, emphasizing the need for ergonomic interventions and health education.
... In the current study, the 12-month prevalence of symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among sewing machine operators was 91%. This finding is corroborated by studies which found that the 12-month prevalence of symptoms of WMSDs was 92.0% among sewing machine operators in Nigeria (predominantly male population) [35], 92.0% in Cambodia with (predominantly female population) [26], and 91.2% in Estonia (on a small sample size) [36]. However, this prevalence is relatively higher than the prevalence of symptoms of WMSDs as reported in India (77.6% where 33.1% participants were tailors) [37], 76% in sewing machine operators in Portugal [38], 60.7% among garment factory workers in Bangladesh [39]. ...
... Obesity is globally recognized as a growing public health problem [47]. We found that the prevalence of obesity among sewing machine operators was 20%, which is similar to the findings of studies conducted on sewing machine operators in India (24%) [48], Estonia (28.5%) [36], and Bangladesh (33.6%) [49]. It should be noted that the prevalence of obesity among individuals of Sindh province of Pakistan is relatively low (4%) as compared to other provinces of the country: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (14%), Punjab (11%), and Baluchistan (8%) [50]. ...
Background:
The nature of the work of sewing machine operators predisposes them to a wide variety of symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders and obesity. However, there is a paucity of studies on the prevalence and associated factors for symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among this occupational group.
Objectives:
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of symptoms of WMSDs and their association with personal and occupational factors and body mass index (BMI) among sewing machine operators of Sindh province in Pakistan.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted on male sewing machine operators in two major cities (i.e., Hyderabad and Nawabshah) of Sindh province in Pakistan. Obesity was determined through the BMI cutoff values for Asians. Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Numeric Rating Scale were used. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v20.
Results:
Of the 200 participants, 91% participants had symptoms of WMSDs in the past 12 months. Most (41.5%) participants reported pain and discomfort during the last 12 months in the lower back region. Symptoms of WMSDs in the lower back region had a significant positive association with working days/week (r = .196** p = .005). Symptoms of WMSDs in the ankle/feet region had a significant positive association with age (r = .246** p = .001) and work experience (r = .276** p = .001).
Conclusions:
Prevalence of symptoms work-related musculoskeletal disorders is high among sewing machine operators of Sindh province in Pakistan, with significant associations between personal and occupational factors.
... The most prevalent garment-sewing operator musculoskeletal complaints involve muscles of the neck, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists [16], hands, fingers, back, waist, and lower extremities such as the knee [17] and the right leg [18][19][20]. Thus, it is important to 2 of 14 create a preventive program for garment-sewing operators. ...
... The percentage reductions in MSC severity occurred in the left wrist, right and left hand, right wrist, right ankle, right knee, right calf, and right foot. The increasing and constant results in certain muscles are due to their being dominant muscles used in working, such as the left elbow holding the fabric position, the right thigh keeping and adjusting the pedal speed to synchronize it with the hand positioning the fabric, and the right upper arm, which works more dominantly [16,19,20]. The position of the garment sewing operators, with their head bowed while sewing, results in neck and lower neck pain. ...
The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of using a combination of stretching and Brain Gym®(BG) + Touch for Health (TfH) movements to reduce fatigue and musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs) in garment-sewing operators. A quasi-experimental study was performed on 53 respondents with two sessions of stretching movements and BG + TfH movements of 5 min duration, three times a week for four weeks. Fatigue was measured using a reaction timer and MSCs were measured using a Nordic Body Map questionnaire. Wilcoxon and Mann–Whitney U tests were performed to examine the differences of pre/post and between the intervention group (IG) and control group (CG). A significant difference was found in IG for pre- and post-fatigue (p < 0.001) and MSCs (p < 0.001), while in CG there was no difference in fatigue (p = 0.200) and MSCs (p = 0.086). Significant differences were found between the IG and CG groups in terms of fatigue (p = 0.046), as well as in MSCs (p < 0.001). A significant decrease in MSCs per part body in IG was found on the left wrist, left hand, and left knee. The percentage of MSC severity decreased in all parts of the body, except the right shoulder, left elbow, and right thigh.
... This finding was consistent with studies done at Bangladesh (36.7%) [10], Sir Lanka (39.64%) [7], and India (41.8%) [24].The possible similarity with those studies could be due to using the same study design and data collection method. The seven-day prevalence of NP was also consistent with the study done in Nigeria (23% and 25.3%) [11,12].However, the prevalence of the present study was found to be lower than that of the study done in Nigeria (80%) [12], Cambodia (74.4%) [25], Estonia (61.4%) [8], Turkey (50%) [5], Iran (54.1%) [6], Pakistan (78%) [4], Tamilnadu, India (51%) [26], and Kolkata, India (60.7%) [9].The possible difference among three countries Estonia, Pakistan, and India (Kolkata) could be due to sample size difference and methodology variations. A particular study done in the seven largest cities of Tamilnadu (India) was a comparative study design. ...
... Moreover, in this study, sewing machine operators who were involved in repetitive movement/activities were 4.5 times more likely to develop neck than those who were not involved. This study is in line with the research conducted in Estonia [8]. The possible similarity could be the usage of similar study design and data collection methods. ...
Background
Neck pain is a major public health problem among sewing machine operators working in textile factories. Even though the textile industries are growing in number in Ethiopia, but there is a dearth of published studies on the prevalence of neck pain. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of neck pain among sewing machine operators of garment factories in Mekelle city.
Method
An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was implemented among 297 sewing machine operators' working in garment factories in Mekelle city. A systematic random sampling technique was used. Data were collected through interviews and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 23. Finally, variables with 95% confidence interval (CI): p < 0.05 in the multivariate analysis were significantly declared.
Results
Two hundred ninety-seven sewing machine operators were enrolled, with 98.7% response rates. In this study, the 12-month prevalence rate of neck pain was found to be 42.3% (95% CI: 36.6%–47.9%), and variables like such as break time [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 5.888, 95% CI: (2.775–12.493)], working hours per day [AOR: 6.495, 95% CI: (2.216–19.038)], static posture [AOR: 4.487, 95% CI (1.640–12.275)], and repetitive activity [AOR: 4.519, 95% CI:(2.057–9.924)] were associated with neck pain.
Conclusion
In this study, neck pain is a major public health problem. Continuous work without break time, working greater than 8 hours per day, sitting in the same position for greater than 2 hours, and high repetitive activities were found significantly associated with neck pain. Owners and governmental bodies need to focus on developing preventive strategies and safety guidelines.
... ewing machine operator's work is tiresome due to whole day repetitive movement in elbow, wrist and fingers. 1 Sewing machine operator's work may cause pain in the wrist due to continuous movement in the wrist. They sit in front of sewing machine for many hours and use hands for griping objects and holding things which can cause pain in the wrist. ...
Background: The wrist is the most used site in operating the sewing machine. Sewing machine operators work continuously for long period of time. The repetitive movement on the wrist joint can cause pain. The acute wrist pain can affect the daily living activities. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of nerve gliding exercises and conventional treatment in reducing wrist pain among female sewing machine operators. Methodology: Total of 66 female participants were randomly taken from different settings. Lottery method sampling technique was used to randomly place the 66 participants into two groups: group A (nerve gliding exercises) as treatment group and group B (TENS for conventional treatment) as control group. The treatment was given for 4 weeks. The TENS was applied for 25-30 mins with the frequency of 80-120Hz. Patient Related Wrist Evaluation questionnaire was used. The independent t-test and paired sample t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The group A (nerve gliding exercises) has pain relief score 34.14±7.69 whereas group B (conventional treatment) has pain relief score 38.58±10.14. The p-value obtained ˂0.05 was statistically significant in group A. This p-value shows that the treatment of group A was more effective than group B in reducing wrist pain in female sewing machine operators. Conclusion: This study concluded that nerve gliding exercises was more effective than conventional treatment for the reduction of wrist pain in female sewing machine operators.
... Non-occupational factors such as gender, age, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and smoking can also contribute to the occurrence of MSDs. The most common musculoskeletal complaints among garment sewing operators involve the muscles of the neck, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists [14], hands, fingers, back, waist and lower extremities such as the knee [15] and the right leg [16][17][18]. Similarly, in a study among garment workers in Sri Lanka, 15.5% of workers reported musculoskeletal symptoms, which correlated positively with increased age and industry tenure of less than 12 months [19]. ...
Objectives. The garment industry is a labour-intensive industry, with workers susceptible to musculoskeletal problems, especially those employed in smaller units that lack adequate occupational health provisions. This study aims to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among workers in both large and small garment units and assess their quality of life (QoL). Methods. The study surveyed 746 garment workers, comprising 372 from large units and 374 from small units. Data were collected through the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF questionnaire, with posture analysis conducted using the rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) and rapid entire body assessment (REBA) scales. Results. The results showed that 32% of workers in large-scale garment units and 43.9% in small-scale garment units reported musculoskeletal symptoms. The occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) was significantly associated with increasing age, smoking, alcohol consumption, job duration, working in shifts and moonlighting. Conclusion. The workers in the garment industry, particularly of small units, are highly susceptible to WMSDs.
... The impact of psychosocial risk factors among garment industry workers has been studied previously [26][27][28]. The correlation results highlighted that an increase in quantitative demands and emotional demands increases presenteeism and work productivity loss, whereas an increase in work pace and influence at work results in a decrease in absenteeism, presenteeism and work productivity loss [29]. ...
Work productivity is one of the most important economic measures in the manufacturing industry. However, the physical, psychosocial, and individual risk factors of an industrial work environment affect workers' physical or mental health, resulting in work productivity loss, absenteeism, and presenteeism. Therefore, this study aims to identify the most critical risk factors and develop the statistical models for predicting work productivity loss, absenteeism, and presenteeism of the garment industry workers. A sample of 224 sewing machine operators was taken for data collection through observation and self-reported studies. The results indicated that the average work productivity loss, absenteeism and presenteeism was 38.21%, 2.35% and 37.23%, respectively. Finally, the statistical models of work productivity loss, absenteeism and presenteeism was developed using multiple linear regression with precision of 69.9%, 53.7% and 84.0%, respectively. Hence, this study will help garment industries to improve their work productivity by taking initiatives based on the developed models.
... [16] [17]. According to findings, due to standardized workstations, high incidence of musculoskeletal symptoms and related physical problems in the manufacture of textiles and clothing was highly repetitive. ...
Musculoskeletal symptoms are prevalent and represent the most common health problem among manufacturing operators in industrial-developing countries, with considerable costs and impact on quality of life. Because of incorrect workstations and lack of employee education in basic biomechanical principles, many of the workers are still in high risk injury. The aim of this study is to understand the impact of ergonomics implementation among production operators as the risk factors of musculoskeletal symptoms. Operators are normally exposed to a variety of risk factors such as awkward and static postures, repeat movement, and powerful effort. Manufacturing operators are thus considered at risk from developing musculoskeletal symptoms (MSSs). This review evaluates selected papers in manufacturing industries that have studied risk factors of musculoskeletal symptoms among manufacturing operators. Furthermore, other related industry studies have been reviewed as applicable. To understand the risk factors of musculoskeletal symptoms among manufacturing operators, it is recommended that future studies be required to assess these risk factors among manufacturing operators.
Indian sub continent is the second largest manufacturer of garments after china being the global leader in
garment production. Today the way of technological advancement and use of sophisticated machinery it
has enabled the manufacturers to achieve better quality and well designed garments. Occupational health hazard is concerned with health hazard in relation to work environment. Effective application of
ergonomics in work system design can achieve a balance between worker characteristics and task
demands. With the 3 objectives, a study was conducted on 50 workers working in garment industry of Jaipur. A questionnaire was used for collecting general information and for specific information. Data highlighted that 54% of the respondents belonged to the age group of 33-43 years followed by 44% of the respondents having the work experience of above 10 years. Majority (94%) of respondents having sufficient space to work followed by 80.00 percent of the workers said that temperature is good according to their working environment. More than half of the workers had pain in knee (66%) and dull eye sight (78%). Moderate discomfort was mentioned by 70 percent of the respondent in neck followed by 44 percent in lower back and 22 percent in shoulder. Conclusively, Ergonomics play an important role in making the workplace as efficient, safe and comfortable as possible and at the same time enhance human performance.
This study evaluated the effect of an ergonomics intervention program on the prevalence and intensity of symptoms of upper extremity work-related musculoskeletal disorders among 36 garment workers performing an operation called spooling. Adjustable chairs were introduced and workers were trained in their use. Symptom surveys were administered prior to and 6 months after introduction of adjustable chairs. Quantitative pre- and post-intervention measurement of joint position was performed utilizing videotapes among a subgroup of nineteen. Eighty nine percent of the cohort reported pain in either the neck or at least one upper extremity anatomic site prior to the adjustable chair intervention. Among subjects reporting pain at baseline, there were significantly decreased pain levels in 10 of 11 anatomic sites after the intervention. Among all subjects, the proportion reporting pain decreased for each anatomic site following the intervention, with statistically significant decreases in 3 sites. However, there were only modest declines in awkward posture among the videotaped subgroup. This study suggests that introduction of an ergonomics program focused on education and introduction of an adjustable chair may diminish musculoskeletal symptomatology in apparel manufacturing workers.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.