Prevalence and risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders among farmers involved in manual farm operations

Postural analysis and ergonomic intervention of unorganized workers in indian construction sectors

BACKGROUND

In India's fast-growing economy, the construction sector offers significant developments with huge employment opportunities but poses risks due to poor working environments and uncomfortable postures. Traditional methods, such as manual material handling, can lead to health hazards and musculoskeletal disorders such as overexertion, low back pain, etc.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to analyze the working postures of unorganized employees engaged in residential buildings using Ergofellow software and to recommend changes in their unsafe working postures.

METHODS

Participants' working positions were video recorded and the postures were analyzed using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Ovako Working Posture Analysis (OWAS). Paired sample t-tests were used to analyze significant differences between the RULA and REBA scores after the ergonomic interventions were implemented.

RESULTS

From the analysis of RULA, REBA and OWAS, the working postures showed a high risk of potential injury and required an immediate change in employees' working postures. The RULA and REBA scores were subsequently lower after the ergonomic interventions, which were based on ergonomic and safety principles. The paired sample t-tests with p-values of less than 0.05 demonstrated decreased risks after ergonomic interventions.

CONCLUSION

Working postures of the construction workers exposed to musculoskeletal disorders were examined and the ergonomic interventions were implemented. According to the recommendations, working positions were changed, and employee well-being was enhanced by reduced operational risks.

Severity of Agricultural Injuries and Its Economic Consequences in Border Belt of Gurdaspur District of Punjab, India

OBJECTIVES

This study collected data related to agricultural injuries, analyzed their causes, and suggested possible remedial actions. Few studies from developing countries have investigated this important topic. Such investigations are extremely important and are required to frame national policies.

METHODS

A well-designed structured form was developed to collect and evaluate data on agricultural incidents, their causes, the severity of injuries, and possible prevention methods. The authors followed a door-to-door survey methodology to collect data with the help of local village leaders.

RESULTS

Less educated and older adults in the age group 31 to 45 years were more prone to agricultural incidents (p < .05). The mean age of the victims was 35.02 years (95% CI 32.7 to 37.3); 124 (91.18%) of the victims were men; and 21 (15.4%) of the cases were fatal. Tractor rollovers caused most of the deaths. Chaff cutters were responsible for most of the incidents that required amputation. Eighteen (45%) of the chaff-cutter incidents occurred in the evening between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM, and 12 (30%) of these incidents occurred due to fatigue.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors strongly recommend that rollover protective structures (ROPS) for tractors and seat belts should be made mandatory in India. Public guidelines emphasizing mandatory higher education for farmers and a model curriculum for both schools and colleges that focuses on the safety of rural populations should be developed. Special training should be provided on the safe operation of machinery and a definitive work - rest schedule should be followed to prevent fatigue and protect agricultural workers from incidents.

The Correlation between Neck Pain and Disability, Forward Head Posture, and Hyperkyphosis with Opium Smoking: A Cross-Sectional Study from Iran

Opium smoking has been a common practice in Iran for many years, with people often smoking for long hours. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in opium smoking due to false beliefs about its protective effects against COVID-19 infection. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between the non-ergonomic positions associated with traditional opium smoking in Iran and the development of neck pain and disability, forward head posture (FHP), and hyperkyphosis (HK). In this cross-sectional, correlational study, a total of 120 individuals who smoked opium were selected based on the inclusion criteria. They were interviewed about their addiction profile using the Lite version of the Addiction Severity Index and the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire. The presence of neck pain and disability was also evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale and the Neck Disability Index. The participants were examined for FHP via side-view photography and for HK using a flexible ruler. Data were analyzed using correlation coefficient tests and stepwise linear regression analysis. Based on the results, homelessness, the lifetime duration of opium smoking (in months), the duration of daily opium smoking (in minutes), and the severity of drug dependence had significant relationships with the severity of neck pain, neck disability, FHP, and HK. Homelessness was the strongest predictor of neck pain and disability (R2 = 0.367, p < 0.001), FHP (R2 = 0.457, p < 0.001), and HK (R2 = 0.476, p < 0.001), followed by the lifetime duration of opium smoking and the duration of daily opium smoking, respectively, in which R2 increased to 0.505 (p = 0.011), 0.546 (p = 0.022), and 0.570 (p = 0.004) with the addition of two other variables. Overall, an increase in the duration of sitting in non-ergonomic positions could lead to neck pain and disability, FHP, and HK due to the non-neutral posture of opium smokers.

Comparative ergonomic assessment of manual harvesting of un-lodged and lodged paddy crops post-tropical cyclone in India

OBJECTIVE

In recent times, increased rainfall from tropical cyclones due to climate change affects the agricultural sector, mainly the paddy fields. High windspeed with excessive rain causes lodging of paddy crops, which is difficult to harvest. Mechanized harvesting systems are ineffective in this situation due to waterlogging in the fields. Manual harvesting with a traditional sickle is the only way to harvest lodged crops to save food security crises and economic losses. Collecting the lodged paddy stems lying on the ground for harvesting manually is time-consuming and harvesters need to maintain an awkward posture for a prolonged period compared to harvesting un-lodged crops.

METHODS

Seventy-five female harvesters aged 35-75 years were selected for the study from both lodged and un-lodged small-scale farming lands of Kerala, a southwestern coastal state of India. A comparative ergonomic assessment was conducted to measure body pain, perceived exertion, postural risks, and rate of production under both harvesting conditions.

RESULTS

The harvesters reported significant higher rates of body pain, perceived exertion, high postural risks, and low productivity in lodged conditions compared to un-lodged condition.

CONCLUSION

Harvesting lodged crops involves high risks with low productivity and needs immediate ergonomic design intervention for the well-being of the harvesters.

A Comparison of Spinopelvic Alignment and Quality of Life between Farmers and Non-Farmers: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study in a Japanese Rural Area

BACKGROUND

It may be difficult to define what would constitute an abnormal spinal sagittal alignment. The same degree of malalignment may be found both in patients with pain and disability and in asymptomatic individuals. This study focuses on elderly farmers who characteristically have a kyphotic spine, in addition to local residents. It questions whether these patients experience cervical and lower back symptoms, respectively, more often than elderly people who never worked on a farm and do not have a kyphotic deformity. Previous research could have been biased by sampling patients who came to a spine clinic for treatment, whereas this study sampled asymptomatic elderly who may or may not have had kyphosis.

METHODS

We studied 100 local residents at their annual health checkup (22 farmers and 78 non-farmers) with a median age of 71 years (range 65-84 years). Spinal radiographs were used to measure sagittal vertical axis, lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis and other measurements of sagittal malalignment. Back symptoms were measured using Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Neck Disability Index (NDI). The association between alignment measures and back symptoms were calculated by bivariate comparison between patient groups and by Pearson's correlation.

RESULTS

About 55% of farmers and 35% of non-farmers had abnormal radiographs (i.e., vertebral fracture). Farmers had higher measurements of sagittal vertical axis (SVA), compared to non-farmers, when measured from C7 (median 24.4 mm vs. 9.15 mm, p = 0.04) and from C2 (47.65 vs. 25.3, p = 0.03). Lumbar lordosis (LL) and thoracic kyphosis (TK) were significantly decreased in farmers vs. non-farmers (37.5 vs. 43.5, p = 0.04 and 32.5 vs. 39, p = 0.02, respectively). The ODI was likely to be higher among farmers compared to non-farmers while NDI scores showed no significant difference between farmers and non-farmers (median 11.7 vs. 6.0, p = 0.06 and median 13 vs. 12, p = 0.82, respectively). In terms of correlation among spinal parameters, LL had a higher correlation with SVA, but TK had less correlation with SVA among farmers compared to non-farmers. There was no significant correlation between disability scores and measurements of sagittal alignment.

CONCLUSIONS

Farmers had higher measurements of sagittal malalignment, characterized by loss of LL, decreased TK and an increased forward translation of cervical vertebrae relative to sacrum. ODI was likely to higher in farmers compared to non-farmers although the association did not reach a significant level. These results probably indicate that the gradual development of spinal malalignment in agricultural workers does not result in excess morbidity compared to controls.

Prevalence of low back pain in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Although many studies have investigated the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) among Indian subjects, no meta-analysis has been conducted to determine the comprehensive epidemiological point, annual, lifetime prevalence of LBP among Indian subjects. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the point, annual, and lifetime prevalence of LBP in the Indian population. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant studies that reported point, annual, or lifetime prevalence of LBP among Indian subjects,. Pooled point, annual and lifetime prevalence rates were calculated. Meta-analysis, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis and publication bias assessment were performed. RESULTS: Ninety-seven studies were included in this review. Fifty-four studies included in the review (55.5%) were found to be of higher methodological quality. The pooled point, annual, and lifetime prevalence of LBP in India was 48% (95% CI 40–56%); 51% (95% CI 45–58%), and 66% (95% CI 56–75%), respectively. The pooled prevalence rates were highest among females, the rural population, and among elementary workers. CONCLUSION: The point, annual, and lifetime prevalence rates of LBP in the Indian population is higher compared to global and other ethnic populations affecting a large proportion of the population, especially among women, rural population and in elementary workers. The findings of this study can be the basis for formulating policy regarding the prevention and treatment of LBP in a large part of the global population.