Musculoskeletal disorders and their influence on the quality of life of the dockworker: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Dockworkers are subjected to intense physical labor which leads to frequent occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to measure the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) of temporary dockworkers and its influence on their quality of life. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study developed with temporary dockworkers in Brazil. Recruitment was done by inviting workers when they presented themselves for work at the trade union. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and the Short-Form Health Survey were used. The association between the outcome and the different investigated factors was analyzed through Poisson Regression with robust variance. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the data from the Short-Form Health Survey scale among the groups both with and without work-related musculoskeletal disorders. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 318 temporary dockworkers with a mean age of 48 years. WMSD prevalence was 37.4%. WMSD was associated with not practicing physical activity (PR = 2.03; p = 0.005), participation in housework (PR = 1.88; p = 0.029), taking care of preschool children (PR = 1.65; p < 0.000) and handling heavy objects (PR = 1.83; p = 0.007). The lumbar spine was the most frequently mentioned area of the body (22.5%) in the WMSD analysis. Workers without WMSD had higher (p < 0.00) quality of life scale scores in relation to functional capacity, physical and social aspects, pain and vitality. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the relevance of developing action plans regarding the needs of this specific population of workers, especially concerning the reduction of risk factors.