The Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Iranian Spinner Workers in the Textile Industry and Its Association With Demographic and Lifestyle Characteristics

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the annual and weekly prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) and their relation to demographic characteristics, such as Body Mass Index (BMI), work experience, and physical activity in spinner workers in the textile industry. We also conducted a comparison between the annual and weekly prevalence of MSDs.  Methods: The study sample included 700 male spinner workers (Mean±SD age: 32.6±6.5 years) from 10 companies in Najaf Abad City, Isfahan Province, Iran. Information about MSDs was collected through the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (ENMQ) from November 2018 to September 2019. Demographic characteristics were collected using a demographic checklist through a direct interview by one investigator.  Results: The present study findings suggested that the Mean±SD duration of work hours per week was 56.6±8.4 hours. The Mean±SD times of experiencing an injury equaled 27.8±33.1 months. The annual prevalence of MSDs was reported to be 74.4% for at least one of the 9 body regions. The highest annual prevalence rates belonged to the knees (54.0%), lower back (34.3%), and shoulders (23.1%). In contrast, the most weekly prevalent regions were the knees (44.6%), lower back (26.9%), and ankles (15.9%). Generally, the weekly prevalence was significantly lower than that of the annual prevalence (P<0.008). Job experience, marital status, and physical exercise presented a significant relationship with the annual prevalence of MSDs in the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, knees, and ankle/foot. Contrarily, there was a significant relationship between job experience and the weekly prevalence of MSDs in the shoulder, lower back, and knee regions. The prevalence of neck, shoulders, wrists/hands, low back, knee, and ankle/foot pain was significantly increased in married workers. Furthermore, exercise history could cause a significant decrease in the prevalence of MSDs. Discussion: The high prevalence of MSDs in spinner workers is affected by some demographic characteristics; thus, such data should be considered in planning the prevention strategies within the textile industry.