Prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort among the workers engaged in jewelry manufacturing

BACKGROUND: The workers engaged in jewellery manufacturing exposed to various occupational risk factors that lead to development of musculoskeletal disorders. But there is scarcity of reporting the prevalence of the musculoskeletal disorders among them. AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort among the workers engaged in jewellery manufacturing in India. SETTING AND DESIGN: Case Control Study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was divided into two phases. First phase: prevalence rate were calculated using Modified Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and compared with the control group. Second phase: strength, flexibility and tightness of the muscle groups (neck, lower back and knee) were evaluated through physical examination for the subjects who reported positive prevalence. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: A comparative inferential statistics was used. RESULTS: This study was divided into two phases. First phase: prevalence rate were calculated using Modified Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and compared with the control group. Second phase:strength, flexibility and tightness of the muscle groups (neck, lower back and knee) were evaluated through physical examination for the subjects who reported positive prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: The musculoskeletal disorders among the workers engaged in jewellery manufacturing were found to be specific to the occupation.