Evaluation of postural stress and risk factors for developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders among full-time women homemakers

Abstract

Background Housework activities force women to work in poor and awkward postures which impose biomechanical stresses on various parts of the body. Therefore, the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is high among women homemakers. The aim of this cross-sectional observational study was to assess postural load risk in various household tasks among Iranian full-time women homemakers. Methods Participants were 160 Iranian full-time women homemakers. Using face-to-face interviews and field observations, the main tasks typically performed by the homemakers were identified. These included sweeping floors, washing dishes (with two sub-tasks of cleaning dishes and placing dishes in the sink basket), cooking, washing clothes with a washing machine (including two sub-tasks carrying a basket of clothes and loading and unloading the washing machine), house cleaning, and ironing. Finally, the posture for each of these six tasks was assessed using the rapid entire body assessment (REBA) and the action level for each task was determined. Results The REBA indicated that housework requires physical effort, and these tasks in particular put excess pressure on the body, meaning that homemakers performed their tasks with moderate to high postural load risk. Cooking had the highest level of risk and the mean REBA score (SD) for this task was 12.23 (1.91). Of the six tasks studied, the trunk and neck were exposed to the highest postural load risk. Conclusion Overall, the data in this study indicated that doing housework tasks can be harmful to health, and that intervention measures are necessary to reduce the risk of MSDs in homemakers. The findings of the present study can provide direction for implementing effective interventions to prevent MSDs in these women.