[Occupational and lifestyle factors related to musculoskeletal and fatigue symptoms among middle-aged female workers in a frozen food processing factory].
A survey was conducted on musculoskeletal and fatigue symptoms related to individual and work-related risk factors among middle-aged female workers in a frozen food processing factory by using a self-administered questionnaire. Proportions of workers who frequently experienced, during the last one month, stiff muscle or pain in the neck-shoulder, back and lower limbs were 32.9%, 26.8% and 15.9%, respectively. The proportion for fatigue symptom was 30.5%. Factors related to fatigue were: short duration of employment [odds ratio (OR) 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-2.9], light body weight [OR 0.6, CI 0.3-1.1], long house work [OR 1.7, CI 0.9-3.3], short sleep hours [OR 1.6, CI 1.0-2.5], walking to and from work [OR 0.5, CI 0.2-1.0], those related to back pain were: high body height [OR 2.4, CI 0.8-7.4], light body weight [OR 0.4, CI 0.2-0.9], those related to lower limb symptom were: working height below hip height [OR 2.3, CI 1.2-4.4], working height above shoulder height [OR 3.0, CI 1.5-5.7], high body height [OR 3.4, CI 1.2-10.1] and low body height [OR 2.4, CI 0.8-7.4]. Workers' subjective evaluation of height of work table was significantly related to the body height. These results indicate that it would be necessary to improve ergonomic aspects of work considering individual characteristics as well as to advise workers on their lifestyle.
Mizoue
T
T
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.
Nishisaka
S
S
Nishikuma
K
K
Yoshimura
T
T
D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D006804:Ergonomics; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D018763:Muscle Fatigue; D011187:Posture; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires