Artisanal fisherwomen/shellfish gatherers: analyzing the impact of upper limb functioning and disability on health-related quality of life

Abstract

The aim is to analyze upper limb functioning and disability, and its association with health-related quality of life among artisanal fisherwomen from Bahia, Brazil. Cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted with a sample of 209 fisherwomen. Structured questionnaires were used for socio-demographic and comorbidity information, as well as the instruments Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and Short-Form Healthy Survey (SF-36) respectively, to evaluate the upper limbs and health-related quality of life. The results demonstrated that the presence of musculoskeletal disorders in the upper limbs directly affects the values of the DASH instrument and the SF-36v01 questionnaire scores, while also generating a negative correlation between the DASH and SF-36v01. The varying functioning abilities, pain and social aspects negatively affect upper limb function, and the daily activities and work of fisherwomen. The presence of chronic disease and the absence of intervention and rehabilitation for these professionals, that could produces, in a long-term, cases of disability.

Fatores associados com os distúrbios musculoesqueléticos em pescadoras artesanais/marisqueiras em Saubara, Bahia, Brasil

“…There was a high prevalence of MSDs in the neck or shoulder and distal upper limbs among artisanal fisherwomen/shellfish gatherers. This finding reveals the importance of this painful pathology for the Saubara shellfish gatherer population, which may contribute to the worsening of the workers' quality of life 37 . The main risk factors for the development of MSDs in the aforementioned functional units, as demonstrated by the literature, were analysed for shellfish gatherers, and statistically significant associations were identified with some physical demands of the work and individual characteristics.…”

“…Because of the originality of the topic, a more rigid case definition and the method of analysis employed, it was difficult to compare these findings with other studies. Some authors have described the difficulty of comparing studies of MSDs in the upper limbs 11,37 .…”

Vigilância em saúde do trabalhador da pesca artesanal na Baía de Todos os Santos: da invisibilidade à proposição de políticas públicas para o Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS)

“…Experiências vivenciadas com pescadores artesanais da BTS, que podem ser consultadas com detalhes em artigos [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] e em livro 25 , têm apontado que este é um caminho possível.…”

“…Partiu-se de estudos sobre as condições de trabalho, com metodologias qualitativas etnográficas e ergonômicas para conhecer o trabalho e os riscos à saúde, resultados que posteriormente foram desdobrados em outros estudos e ações que integraram o Programa de Saúde, Ambiente e Sustentabilidade de Trabalhadores da Pesca. Os projetos vinculados a este programa têm buscado aprofundar aspectos relacionados ao ambiente e ao processo de trabalho [10][11][12][13] , agravos frequentes, como distúrbios musculoesqueléticos (DME), no Brasil conhecidos como lesões por esforços repetitivos (LER), e distúrbios osteomusculares relacionados ao trabalho (Dort) 14,15 e também à QV 16,17 .…”

Queixas musculoesqueléticas no ombro: características dos usuários e dos atendimentos na atenção primária

“…Another population study conducted in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom reported incidence rates ranging from 11.2% to 29.5% and prevalence data from 4.7% to 46.7% 10,11 . In Brazil, most of the studies that investigated musculoskeletal pain in the shoulder evaluated specific occupations, and no studies of the population or health services were found 12,13 .…”