title: Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders at workplaces in the People's Republic of China.
abstract: This paper presents 2 musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire surveys in 10 different Chinese occupational groups. Data collected from 1,603 workers using a modified Nordic musculoskeletal disorders symptom questionnaire showed that the 12-month prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, particularly in the low back and shoulder-neck regions, was high at many Chinese workplaces. Significant differences existed between occupational groups. Assembly workers usually had higher neck-shoulder complaints compared to workers in most other occupations. However, the nature of assembly seemed also to influence the prevalence rate. Workers at a cassette recorder and a TV set assembly plant appeared to have more neck complaints compared with a group of thermos flask assemblers.
authors.affiliation: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Olympia, WA, USA. baos235@lni.wa.gov
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winkel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shahnavaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016272:Occupational Health; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D017132:Workplace