The prevalence and risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders among subcontracted hospital cleaners in Thailand

Global prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among sanitary workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives. Sanitary workers are more likely to experience musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to a lack of ergonomics principles and poor job design. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify MSDs among sanitary workers. Methods. The PRISMA and PICOS protocols were used for flow diagrams and review questions, respectively. Articles published between 2000 and 2022 were eligible. The keywords '(Musculoskeletal Disorders) AND (Solid waste collectors *OR Street sweepers *OR Sewage workers *OR health facilities cleaners)' and MeSH terms were utilized. The data were analyzed using STATA version 17 with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results. A total of 158 papers were qualified, with 26 studies from 17 countries and a total of 6586 sanitary workers. The global prevalence of MSDs among sanitation workers was 40.52% (95% CI [32.47, 48.67]; p < 0.05). It was 43.32% (95% CI [31.98, 54.68]; p < 0.05) in high-income countries and 38.58% (95% CI [26.94, 50.18]; p < 0.05) in low-income countries. By subgroup analysis, it was 45.12% (95% CI [32.57, 57.67]; p < 0.05) for solid waste collectors, which is the highest prevalence among other workers. Conclusion. Current evidence shows that sanitation workers have a higher prevalence of occupationally associated MSDs, which might be lowered by using ergonomic work design principles.

Musculoskeletal disorders and its associated factors among hospital cleaners in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

There is a paucity of published evidence about musculoskeletal disorders among hospital cleaners in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and its associated factors among hospital cleaners in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A total of 437 hospital cleaners participated in the study. A standardized questionnaire adapted from the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was used for data collection. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders. The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among hospital cleaners was 57.2% with 95% CI (52.6-62.0). Occupational safety training [AOR: 2.34, 95% CI (1.47-3.73)], repetitive tasks [AOR: 3.09, 95% CI (1.61-5.94)], heavy lifting [AOR: 5.21, 95% CI (3.20-8.48)], work-related stress [AOR: 2.42, 95% CI (1.48-3.97) and work-related dissatisfaction [AOR: 1.97, 95% CI (1.23-3.13)] were identified as associated factors for the development of musculoskeletal disorders. In conclusion the study revealed a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder. Notably, work related and organizational factors emerged as key contributing factors to the development of disorders. The identified associations underscore the importance of targeted interventions promoting organizational change involving managers to mitigate the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and enhance overall occupational health and well-being.

Determinants of Occupational Health and Safety Outcomes Among Sanitation Workers Across Worldwide: A Systematic Review on Cross-Sectional Studies

As a result of working conditions, a variety of determinants or risk factors lead to the development of occupational health and safety impairments or outcomes such as injuries and musculoskeletal disorders among sanitary personnel, which must be identified in order to anticipate concerns. PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Lilacs databases were used from 2010 to April 2022. Searched strategies used logical words "AND/OR": Occupational *OR Work AND Injuries OR Musculoskeletal Disorder AND Associated Factors [Socio-demographic *OR Behavioral factors *OR Institution Factors *OR Work pattern] AND Sanitary workers [Waste collectors and emptier *OR Street Sweepers *OR Sewage workers *OR Health facilities Cleaners] AND Cross-Sectional Studies. The databases and other collected data and reports yielded a total of 86 studies and finally 16 studies were included. From total of sanitary workers (5833), 4990 (85.5%) were solid waste collectors, and 618 (10.6%) and 225 (3.9%) were and healthcare cleaners and street sweepers, respectively. Regarding associated factors, Age (OR: 22.57, 7.29-69.88); education (OR: 2.22, 1.22-4.00); and experience (OR: 1.92, 1.11-3.31) were predictors for occurrence of injuries. Smoking cigarettes (OR:2.6, 1.55-4.34); sleeping disturbance (OR: 2.57, 1.48-4.47); eating/smoking/drinking at work (OR: 3.85, 1.34-11.06); and lack of personal protective equipment (OR: 2.62; 1.48-4.63) are the other predictors. On other side, Education (OR: 6.73, 1.92-23.51), age (OR: 7.56, 2.18-26.18), and job experience (OR: 10.79, 3.49-33.38) are socio-demographic variables that impact the development of MSDs. Cigarette smoking (OR: 0.14, 0.03-0.64) and job satisfaction (OR: 11.43, 2.04-64.08) are behavioral factors. While, working longer than 8 h (OR: 3.5, 1.543-8.204) and time pressure (OR: 3.25, 1.08-9.77), working for more than 2 h (OR: 8, 2.25; 28.85) and having a bad back (OR: 15.7, 6.47-38.18) were risk factors for MSDs where all P-value < .05. According to current reviewed evidence, socio-demographic indicators, occupational safety with work pattern features, and behavioral factors all significantly contributed to musculoskeletal disorders; occupational injuries among sanitation workers, which require emphasis from government policy and other initiatives.