Musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic risk in coffee pickers: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Coffee harvesting is a manual labor activity that occupies a fundamental role in this productive chain. It is generally performed by peasants, who must face occupational risk factors that increase the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. This study aimed to identify correlations between the presence of musculoskeletal disorders attributable to postures and body movements during the harvesting process and the living conditions of those who perform it. METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was developed with a non-probabilistic sampling. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire that included sociodemographic, health, well-being, and lifestyle variables, the Nordic questionnaire, the IPAQ questionnaire, and the REBA method. The sample consisted of 82 adult coffee pickers from five coffee farms in the department of Huila - Colombia. A descriptive analysis was performed to identify the association, using Fisher's exact test and the chi-square test. The direction and strength of the association were determined with the Odds Ratio (OR) with its respective 95% confidence interval (CI). A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders; the tests were evaluated at a significance level of 5% (p <0.05). RESULTS: The participating coffee pickers work under unfavorable working conditions, mostly men, 61% of whom are at high risk and 39% at very high risk of suffering from musculoskeletal disorders. Likewise, 82.9% have some of them. The findings showed that men are more likely to suffer from musculoskeletal disorders and a high REBA result. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal disorders are common in the coffee-picking population studied, with the upper body area being the most affected.