title: Nonfatal occupational injury rates and musculoskeletal symptoms among housekeeping employees of a hospital in Texas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in hospital cleaners.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injury data on all hospital employees were extracted from occupational health records and compared. Additionally an interview-based modified Nordic Questionnaire (response rate 98.14%) was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean total injury rate for cleaners was 35.9  per 100  full-time equivalent (FTE), while that for other employees was 13.64 per 100  FTE. Slips/trips/falls and MMH contributed 4.39 and 2.37 per 100  FTE among cleaners and rest of the hospital employees, respectively. The most common type of injury was strain while the most common cause of injury was a striking object.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cleaners have higher injury rates and morbidity as compared to other employees of the hospital. The lower back was most commonly affected.
authors.affiliation: Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Department, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Room CBH 431, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA.
authors.forename: Kirtigandha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salwe
authors.forename: Shrawan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hood
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006797:Housekeeping, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult