Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Workers of Abossey Okai Automobile Spare Parts Market

Abstract

Background: Abossey Okai situates the central market for automobile spare parts in Accra, Ghana. The market lacks formal structures for work supervision thus exposing workers to various hazards. The most commonly encountered are mechanical hazards. Mechanical hazards could result in a high prevalence of various forms of occupational injuries and disorders. Objective: This study assessed the factors that influence work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) among the garage workers of Abossey Okai automobile spare parts market. Method: The study was a cross-sectional study. Two hundred and fifteen (215) workers of big axles and engine spare parts shops at Abossey Okai completed a 66-item questionnaire. Study participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. STATA software version 15 was used for data analysis. Multiple logistic regression, Chi-square, Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests were carried out to measure the relationship between WRMSDs and the explanatory factors with a confidence level of 95%. The explanatory factors were socio-demographic characteristics, occupational health and safety (OHS) knowledge level and work demands. Results: The mean age of participants was 33.1 ±8.5 years and the mean work experience was 9.4±6.5 years. About seventy percent (70.2%) of participants recorded fair knowledge in OHS. The prevalence of WRMSDs among participants was 71.6% with the low back (38.1%) being most affected body part. The chi-square test demonstrated a significant relationship between participants‟ age and WRMSDs (X² = 13.02; P = 0.001). The Mann-Whitney test also showed an association between work experience and WRMSDs (Z= -2.92; p = 0.004). The unadjusted regression analysis yielded significant association of WRMSDs with two variables: age (UOR =2.09: 95 % CI = 0.99, 4.43) and work experience (UOR = 1.08; 95 % CI = 1.02, 1.14). These variables however lost statistical significance in the adjusted regression analysis. Conclusion: The study recorded a high prevalence of WRMSDs among the garage workers of the big axles and engines spare parts shop in Abossey Okai. The age and work experience tends to be associated with the development of WRMSDs among the garage workers but this may require further investigation.