Musculoskeletal disorders and stress among footwear industry workers

• Published in: Work (Reading, Mass.) Vol. 56; no. 1; pp. 67 - 73
• Main Authors: de Almeida, Larissa Brentini, Vieira, Edgar Ramos, Zaia, José Eduardo, de Oliveira Santos, Branca Maria, Lourenço, Américo Riccardi Vaccari, Quemelo, Paulo Roberto Veiga
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2017; IOS Press BV
• Subjects: Adult; Brazil; Disease prevention; Federal regulation; Female; Footwear industry; Humans; Male; Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities - manpower; Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities - statistics & numerical data; Musculoskeletal diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases - etiology; Musculoskeletal Diseases - psychology; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Occupational stress; Perception; Prevalence; Psychometrics - instrumentation; Quantitative psychology; Shoes - statistics & numerical data; Stress, Psychological - etiology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Studies; Wellness programs; Workers; Workplace - psychology; Workplace - standards; Workplace - statistics & numerical data; stress; risk factors; Cumulative trauma disorders; occupational health
• ISSN: 1051-9815; 1875-9270
• DOI: 10.3233/WOR-162463

BACKGROUND: Manufacturing footwear requires intense manual labor and high repetitions with low variability in function that may lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) symptoms and psychological stress. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a potential association between musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and perceived stress among footwear industry workers. METHODS: The Nordic General Questionnaire (NGQ) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were completed by 357 footwear industry workers. The association between MSD and perceived stress was evaluated using the Chi-Square test and Odds Ratios along with their 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) were calculated. RESULTS: The twelve-month prevalence of MSD symptoms among the respondents was 66% (n = 236) and the symptoms were significantly associated with perceived stress (p = 0.002, OR: 10, 95% CI: 1.7 to 60.6). The seven-day prevalence of MSD symptoms was 33% and the symptoms were also significantly associated with perceived stress (p = 0.001, OR: 2.7, 95% CI:0.8 to 9.3). The association between perceived stress and MSD symptoms indicates a strong association between MSD symptoms and perceived stress levels. CONCLUSION: Considering that these problems are important determinants of worker’s health, a combined approach to reduce both stress and MSD symptoms is necessary for prevention and health promotion in the footwear industry.