Prevalence, severity, and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among stevedores in a Philippine break-bulk port terminal

Abstract

While it plays a vital role in a country’s economic development, port operations host a wide spectrum of health problems and work-related diseases. This study aimed at determining the prevalence, severity, and significant risk factors that contribute to the occurrence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among stevedores in a Philippine break-bulk port terminal. The stevedores were asked to identify the work-related musculoskeletal symptoms they had experienced over the last three months. In this cross-sectional study, the results showed that self-reported prevalence and severity of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms were significantly higher in the upper and lower back, shoulder, and forearm regions. Some of the identified risk factors associated with the severity of musculoskeletal symptoms are age, work experience, number of working days per week, vessel work assignment, type of steel commodity, level of job satisfaction, and perceived job security among others, suggesting that the etiology of this condition is multifaceted.