Epidemiological Patterns of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Healthcare Workers in Five Reference Hospitals in the City of Douala, Cameroon

Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are a public health problem and have forced many workers to quit their jobs prematurely. This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of WRMSDs among Healthcare workers in five reference hospitals in the City of Douala-Cameroon. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 among 561 healthcare workers working in five reference hospitals in the city of Douala, Cameroon. Participants were selected using a convenient sampling technique. Data were collected with structured questionnaires;data on the demographics and risk factors were collected using a well-designed questionnaire, while estimation of the prevalence of WRMSDs was done using the Modified Nordic questionnaire. Results: The overall prevalence rate of WRMSDs among healthcare workers in Douala hospitals was 83.4% (468/561). The prevalence per professional groups was as follows: 88.8% (71) for Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS), 81.9% (289) for nurses, 21 (80.8%) for Physiotherapists (PTs) and 78.8% (41) for Medical Doctors (MDs). There was a significant difference (p = 0.001) in the prevalence of WRMSDs with respect to place of work where healthcare workers from HLD recorded the highest prevalence 89.9%, while Healthcare workers from NBDH were 2.91 times at risk (AOR = 2.91;95% CI: 1.32 - 6.41;p = 0.001) to develop WRMSDs than healthcare workers in the other hospitals. With respect to body region, the highest prevalence of WRMSDs was recorded on the lower back, 58.8% with the lowest at the elbows 11.2%. The age group 30 to 39 years was significantly associated with WRMSDs at level of the shoulder (p = 0.002), upper back (p = 0.019), elbows (p Conclusion: The overall prevalence rate of WRMSDs among healthcare workers in Douala hospitals was high. The prevalence of WRMSDs is highest among MLS and nurses and the most affected body parts are;lower back, neck and upper back. Working on the same posture, stressful job, and repetitive tasks were the major risk factors associated to WRMSDs among healthcare workers in Douala hospitals.

Risk of Upper Extremity Biomechanical Overload in Automotive Facility

Objective To assess the risk factors for upper extremity-work-related musculoskeletal disorders（UE-WMSD） on 13 prod ucti on lines in an airbag factory using the threshold limit values-American conference of industrial hygienists-hand activity level（TLV-ACGIH-HAL） method and introduce the ergonomic improvement to reduce the repe titi veness and the peak force（Pf）.Methods Professional exposure level on 13 production lines in a automobile factory was measured using the TLV-ACGIH-HAL method and a further risk was assessed according to the ergonomic improvement.Results The first assessment of 9 produc tion lines showed that the professional exposure level was above the TLV or HAL limit.The second assessment showed that the professional exposure level was below the AL limit on all production lines except 1,in which the professional exposure level was between TLV and HAL.Conclusion The assessment of UE-WMSD-related risk can ide ntif y the riskiest emplacements and evaluate the reduc tion of risk in professional exposure through interventi ons of structuralorganizati onal type.