Musculoskeletal Disorders and Ergonomic Factors among the Cabin Crews of the National Airline of Bangladesh

Abstract

Introduction: Cabin crews on aircraft are at risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders as a result of their workload and the nature of their profession. This study is an attempt to identify work-related musculoskeletal disorders suffered by cabin crews and the associated ergonomic factors. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among the cabin crews. The cabin crews, regardless of gender, who had worked at least one year, were selected by simple random sampling. A total of 246 cabin crews were the respondents in this study. A Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to assess the respondents' MSDs. To determine the predictors of MSDs, a binary logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Out of 246 cabin crew, 55.3% were males, and the mean age was 39.83±9.289 years. The mean flight duration was 85 hours, and the maximum flying hours was 123. Of the total participating crews, more than half (55.7%) suffered from musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The common sites of MSDs were the low back, shoulder, neck, and knee joints. Poor ergonomic factors such the increasing age and flight duration were also contributing factors to MSDs. Conclusion: The study revealed that over half of the cabin crew suffered from work-related musculoskeletal disorders. A number of ergonomic factors, including age and flight duration, were found to be associated with MSDs.

Musculoskeletal Disorders Affecting Work Performance Among Ground-Handling Personnel: A Systematic Literature Review

“…MSDs common affected body region are the shoulder, lower back, knee, ankle, and wrist. (1,2,28) This literature evaluation also found that ramp lifting techniques can enhance the lifting environment, lowering individual risks for ground handlers, and boosting worker performance and efficiency.…”

“…Most of these articles were published between 2015 to 2024, and were published in Iran, USA, Taiwan, Turkey, Denmark, Norway, and Bangladesh (6,(23)(24)(25)(26) several international journals were used to publish the selected articles, most of selected review utilized approach being the cross-sectional design. (1,20,23,26,27) In general, studies focused mainly on ground handling workers specifically on the cabin crew, (1,24,25)baggage handlers, (11,17,28) flight security personnel (26,29) while two studies used taxonomy approach to identify and analyse risk factors (2,3) The most often used data collection method was the survey, which mainly used Kuorinka's (1987) Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. Furthermore, some studies relied on self-reported data, which raises concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the results.. (25,26)…”

“…Several studies show significant musculoskeletal issues in ground-handling workers, mainly in the lower back, neck, and shoulders. (1,18)…”

Analisis Keluhan Musculoskeletal Disorders pada Pekarja Produksi Basah dan Produksi Kering

“…Bagi pekerja yang telah bekerja cukup lama dan melakukan pekerjaan yang mengulangi gerakan yang sama, hal ini memberikan tekanan pada bagian-bagian yang mengalami gerakan terus-menerus. Dalam hal ini, pekerja pabrik roti dapat mengalami gangguan muskuloskeletal pada pergelangan tangan, punggung, bahu, dan kaki akibat terus menerus melakukan gerakan yang sama dalam waktu yang lama (Ahmad et al, 2022).…”

Exploring the Prevalence, Risk Factors and Association with Physical Activity of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Patients Attending a Tertiary Teaching Hospital in Gazipur Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The link between physical activity and musculoskeletal issues in the older age group needs to be specifically taken into account. Despite the use of a variety of methods, only a small number of research from Bangladesh [24][25][26][27] revealed musculoskeletal illnesses and work related ergonomic risk factors. Although there hasn't been much study on MSD and exercise in Bangladesh.…”