Prevalence of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Ergonomic Risk Assessment Among the Grocery Store Workers

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries or disorders affecting muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are significantly influenced by the work environment and performance, often exacerbated by job conditions. WMSDs affect various body parts associated with movement, including upper and lower limbs and the back, caused or aggravated by work activities. Factors like joint positions, repetitive motions, and high static muscle loads contribute to these issues. Grocery store workers, particularly those involved in manual labor and repetitive tasks, have a high incidence of WMSDs, with prevalent complaints of lower back, knee, and upper extremity pain. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 96 participants aged 18-50, working a minimum of 5 hours daily with at least one year of experience in material handling. Exclusions were made for those receiving treatment for musculoskeletal diseases, with deformities, degenerative conditions, unwilling participants, or cash register workers. Data collection included the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) in Hindi and photographs of participants in their most attended work postures. The Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) was used to evaluate ergonomic risks. Results: The study found a high prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort among grocery store workers, particularly in the lower back, knees, neck, and ankles. The number of working years which shows that 50% of the population lies in the range of 1-5 years followed by 30.02% in 6-10 Years. The number of working hours which shows that 42.7% of subjects work for 6-7 hours and 20.83% for 9-10 hours. The REBA scores indicated that 42.7% of participants were at high risk (scores 8-10), 38.54% at medium risk (scores 4-7), and 14.5% at very high risk (scores 11-15), necessitating immediate ergonomic interventions. Conclusion: Grocery store workers are at a high risk of developing WMSDs, with significant discomfort in the lower back, knees, ankles, and neck. Limitations include lack of segregation among working patterns, and not considering rest intervals or BMI. Future research should focus on intervention studies, segregating working patterns, and advising preventive measures to mitigate these risks. Keywords: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders, Ergonomic risk assessment, Grocery store workers, Musculoskeletal disorder prevalence, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment)