Prevalence of musculoskeletal system problems in children working in Turkey's automotive industry

Abstract

ObjectiveThis epidemiology study was conducted to determine the musculoskeletal system problems of children working in the automotive industry and related factors affecting them in the province of Şanlıurfa, the Turkish province where the child population is the highest at 44.9%.Design and MethodsA cross‐sectional descriptive type study of 256 children aged 7–17 years working in Şanlıurfa Evren Auto Industry Site and Birecik Fırat Auto Industry Site was carried out between April and September 2021.ResultsThe majority (55.9%) of the children spent most of their time afoot while working and had musculoskeletal symptoms, with a duration of more than one year. The body areas with the most symptoms were the waist, feet, and hands, respectively. These symptoms had not occurred before a child started working and were affected by the posture they worked in, and their daily working and sleep hours.ConclusionPublic health nurses are in a position to ensure that tetanus vaccination of working children, employment examinations, routine health checks, and necessary personal protective equipment are available. They can also work to ensure that children work for legal periods, get paid their wages, have health insurance, receive apprenticeship training, and only start working when they reach the age of being an apprentice or apprentice candidate.