Abstract:
Abstract
Introduction: A Work-related musculoskeletal disorder is one of the common causes of
occupational disability and injury in different occupations and considered as a major human
health problems, and loss of work time. Restaurant workers are one of the high-risk
professionals for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Work at a restaurant is usually
physically demanding that may develop symptoms of various Work-related musculoskeletal
disorders such as in the back, lower limbs, neck, and upper limbs.
Objective: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with self-reported work-related
musculoskeletal disorders among restaurant workers in Gondar city, northwest Ethiopia, 2020.
Method: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was used from February 2020 to
March 2020 in Gondar city. A multi-stage sampling method was used to select sub-cities and
restaurants in the selected sub-cities and selected 633 study participants in randomly selected
restaurants. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from the Nordic
questionnaire. Data was entered into EPI Data version 3.1 and exported to Stata version 14.0
for further analysis. Both bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to see the association
of different variables. The odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to measure the
degree of association between variables. P-value of < 0.05 was considered as statically
significant during multivariable logistic regression.
Results: The response rate was 94% (N=595). The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal
disorders among restaurant workers the past 12-months was 81.5% (N=485)[95% CI (78.18-
84.44)], and in this study age [4.7, 95%CI(1.62-13.84)], educational status of the primary and
secondary levels were [AOR: 2.14, 95% CI (1.17-3.90)], and [AOR: 1.71(1.02-2.86)] and job
satisfaction [AOR: 1.90, 95%CI (1.13-3.19)]; were significant association with work-related
musculoskeletal disorders among restaurant workers in Gondar town.
Conclusion: In this study the prevalence of WMSDs among restaurant workers was high. The
upper back, lower back, elbow, and wrist were the most affected body parts. Age above 30
years, educational status being primary and secondary, and being dissatisfied by their job were
positively associated with a high prevalence of the WMSDs.
Keywords: WMSDs, Musculoskeletal disorder prevalence, restaurant workers, Gondar,
Ethiopia.
