Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among traditional pottery makers at selected places in Bengaluru – A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract: CONTEXT: Pottery is defined as clay that has been fashioned into the desired shape and then dried to reduce its water content before being fried or baked to fix its form. The artisans living in traditional societies are normally influenced by their environment as well as by their myths, legends, rituals, ceremonies, festivals, social organization, and cultural norms which are reflected in their creations. The poor environmental conditions and the lack of protective equipment in these pottery workshops are key contributing factors to the development of these occupational diseases. Most pottery industries are small- to medium-scale industries and have longer and irregular working hours, a higher percentage of elderly employees, limited opportunities for health education or health inspection, and insufficient health promotion facilities compared with large companies. These factors are considered to play an important part in the development of occupational diseases and some nonspecific diseases such as psychosomatic, cardiovascular, and locomotor diseases among pottery workers. Traditional pottery making has its unique method of potter-work where it demands prolonged squatting without back support for hours which can develop musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). AIMS: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD) among traditional pottery makers at selected places in Bengaluru. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two rural communities of Bengaluru. One hundred and ten traditional pottery makers were randomly selected. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were screened for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD) using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, following which the pottery makers who reported low back pain (LBP) were screened for the severity of disability using the Modified Oswestry LBP Disability Questionnaire (M-OSW). The results obtained were statistically analyzed using SPSS 25.0. RESULTS: The result showed the highest prevalence of MSDs in the lower back, the findings of this study confirmed the work-related stress on traditional pottery makers. In the present study, the highest prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder was found in the lower back, of which had trouble in the last 12 months, 56.36% were having trouble during the last 7 days, and 19.09% were prevented from doing normal activities during the last 12 months. The prevalence of MSDs during the last 12 months revealed that the maximum of them, i.e., 24.54%, were having pain in the lower back. The present study also found MSDs prevalent in the hip joint and knee joint due to the occupational need to complete the work on prolonged squatting. CONCLUSIONS: This study concluded that prolonged work exposure and awkward work postural demand increase the incidence of MSD among traditional pottery makers in Bengaluru.