Assessment of manual load carrying and health status of women farm workers of district Sonipat (Haryana), India

Abstract

Abstract:In present study an assessment of manual load carrying and health status of women farm workers of Thana Kalan village, Kharkhoda tehsil in Sonipat district of Haryana was conducted. A total of forty women farm workers between 25-40 years age were selected with at least five year load carrying experience, involved in farm work, with no history of chronic disease and willingness to participate in the study. The women farm workers carried water, fodder, cow dung on daily basis and seed, fertilizer and other farm inputs and farm produce on seasonal basis. It was observed that preferable mode of load carrying was head. The quantum of load varied between 20-40 kg. Assessment of health status revealed that musculoskeletal disorder was prevalent in all the age groups. Musculoskeletal disorder namely lower back pain was observed in 87.5 per cent women workers, neck pain in 72.5 per cent women workers followed by knee (32.5%) and foot pain (25 %). The pain severity was mild in most of the women farm workers and nobody was bed ridden for back pain due to load carrying. The younger age women (25-30 years) preferred traditional way of oil massage and rest for relief from back pain and neck pain after load carrying, while older women (31-40 years) had to take rest for back pain relief. The issue of occupational health disorder associated with manual load carrying by women farm worker has to receive attention to reduce the potential health risk.