Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Their Associated Risk Factors among Furniture Manufacturing Workers in Guangdong, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to investigate the one-year prevalence and the associated factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among furniture manufacturing workers in Guangdong, China. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 4181 (2953 males and 1228 females) furniture manufacturing workers was conducted between September 2019 and December 2019. All information about WMSDs was collected by the electronic version of Chinese Musculoskeletal Questionnaires (CMQ). Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model were used to interpret the data. Result: The overall prevalence of WMSDs was 31.57%. The WMSD symptoms most commonly occurred in the neck (16.77%), followed by the shoulders (14.90%), ankles/feet (14.64%), hands/wrists (13.30%), upper back (11.48%), and lower back (10.95%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that several individual, labor organization, and ergonomics-related factors conferred significant risks to WMSDs at different body sites. Conclusions: WMSDs remain the major occupational health problem for furniture manufacturing workers. Hence, some effective and feasible protective measures for furniture manufacturing workers are required in order to alleviate the health burden caused by WMSDs.