An analysis on neck and upper limb musculoskeletal symptoms in Portuguese automotive assembly line workers

Abstract

Assembly lines are related to health risks and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD), particularly of the neck and upper limbs (WULMSD). The assessment of perceived musculoskeletal symptoms is essential to WULMSD prevention, but studies in this field are lacking. A cross sectional survey on assembly line workers (n=270) was performed. The objective of this study was to analyze the frequency and distribution of upper limb musculoskeletal symptoms in assembly line workers. Participants were predominantly men, with ages between 30 and 40 years. Neck and upper limbs pain/discomfort were the most reported symptoms (35.9%), with intensity predominantly moderate or severe. General Health Status and past musculoskeletal injury were the variables more related to the existence of musculoskeletal symptoms; longer working life in the same company, as under 5 years, were related to higher intensity of symptoms. An early identification of musculoskeletal symptoms and health surveillance over time is of most importance to develop WRULMSD prevention measures.

Can Educational Intervention be Useful in Improvement of Body Posture and Work Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms?

“…This difference can be due to the gender of workers. Guerreiro et al (2017) reported this amount in an automobile assembly line factory as 68.5%, and Anita et al 78.4% in the same industry [9,12]. The results show that the prevalence rate of WMSDs in assembly-line workers is high and there is a need for improvement.…”

“…Assembly lines cause numerous health risks and WMSDs, especially in the upper limbs [11]. In some countries, the automotive assembly is an important industry , which exposes workers to the poor postures leading to WMSDs due to the nature of the tasks [9,12]. Ergonomic interventions in the workplace should be aimed at correcting working postures, which suggest changing the patterns of performing duties in workers [7,13].…”