Investigation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among male kitchen workers in South India

Objective. This study aims to quantify the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and risks among male kitchen workers in the catering industry. Method. Data were collected with the help of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and by direct observations. Results. In total, 114 male kitchen workers from various hostels of a college in South India were considered for this study. The average age and mean years of employment of the workers are 26.4 (SD 7.7) and 7.8 respectively. The statistical analysis carried out reveals that 67.5% of male kitchen workers reported MSDs during the past 12 months. The highest prevalence rate has been found in the lower back (65.8%) and shoulder region (62.3%). Among different categories of kitchen work analyzed, it is evident that chief cooks suffer more from MSDs (79.2%) than assistant cooks (74.3%) and kitchen aides (30.0%). Workers in the older group, i.e., ≥41 years, and workers with 6–10 years of experience suffer with higher risk of MSDs, i.e., 93.9% and 87.5%, respectively. Conclusion. The male kitchen workers who participated in this research were found to possess both MSDs and ergonomic hazards.

[1]  Akiyoshi Ito,et al.  Workers' load and job-related stress after a reform and work system change in a hospital kitchen in Japan , 2013, Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine.

[2]  Esa-Pekka Takala,et al.  Physical workload, leisure-time physical activity, obesity and smoking as predictors of multisite musculoskeletal pain. A 2-year prospective study of kitchen workers , 2012, Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

[3]  Yung-hui Lee,et al.  Prevalence and risk factors of subjective musculoskeletal symptoms among cooks in Taiwan , 2011 .

[4]  Esa-Pekka Takala,et al.  Mental stress and psychosocial factors at work in relation to multiple-site musculoskeletal pain: a longitudinal study of kitchen workers. , 2011, European journal of pain.

[5]  Georgios Merekoulias,et al.  Musculoskeletal Disorders among Cosmetologists , 2009, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[6]  Alireza Choobineh,et al.  Perceived demands and musculoskeletal symptoms among employees of an Iranian petrochemical industry , 2009 .

[7]  E. Viikari-Juntura,et al.  Prospective study on shoulder symptoms among kitchen workers in relation to self-perceived and observed work load , 2009, Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

[8]  Alireza Choobineh,et al.  Musculoskeletal Problems Among Workers of an Iranian Sugar-Producing Factory , 2009, International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE.

[9]  Chun-Yuh Yang,et al.  Musculoskeletal Disorder among 52,261 Chinese Restaurant Cooks Cohort: Result from the National Health Insurance Data , 2008, Journal of occupational health.

[10]  J. Chyuan.  Ergonomic Assessment of Musculoskeletal Discomfort Among Commissary Foodservice Workers in Taiwan , 2007 .

[11]  S. Tomita,et al.  Prevalence and risk factors for low back pain among professional cooks working in school lunch services , 2007, BMC public health.

[12]  Eira Viikari-Juntura,et al.  Co-occurrence of musculoskeletal pain among female kitchen workers , 2006, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[13]  Tokeer Hussain,et al.  Musculoskeletal symptoms among truck assembly workers. , 2004, Occupational medicine.

[14]  Michelle M Robertson,et al.  Reducing Musculoskeletal Discomfort: Effects of an Office Ergonomics Workplace and Training Intervention , 2003, International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE.

[15]  D Norbäck,et al.  Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and exposure to vibration, repetitive wrist movements, and heavy manual work: a case-referent study. , 1989, British journal of industrial medicine.

[16]  B. Jonsson,et al.  Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. , 1987, Applied ergonomics.

[17]  Y. Xu,et al.  Prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the catering industry: a systematic review. , 2013, Work.

[18]  Ismaila Adamu Saidu,et al.  Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Injuries Among Factory Workers in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria , 2011, International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE.

[19]  Tuija Virtanen,et al.  Evaluation of a participatory ergonomic intervention process in kitchen work. , 2009, Applied ergonomics.

[20]  W. Yeh,et al.  Musculoskeletal disorders in hotel restaurant workers. , 2004, Occupational medicine.

[21]  J. Ilmarinen,et al.  Prevalence and incidence rates of diseases and work ability in different work categories of municipal occupations. , 1991, Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health.