title: Employer differences in upper-body musculoskeletal disorders and pain among immigrant Latino poultry processing workers.
abstract: Between-employer differences in working conditions may lead to variable injury rates. The objective of this paper is to assess the difference in the prevalence of epicondylitis, rotator cuff syndrome, and low back pain among immigrant Latino poultry workers at plants of three different employers. Data were collected from a cross-sectional study among 286 poultry processing workers. Community-based sampling was used to recruit participants in western North Carolina. Rotator cuff syndrome (26.7%) and low back pain (27.9%) were more prevalent among employees of one specific employer. Multivariate analysis showed significant associations of low back pain and rotator cuff syndrome with age, task performed in the processing line, and employer. Employer is a major predictor of musculoskeletal disorders and pain. Line speed and work pace may account for these differences and provide an opportunity for regulation and intervention to protect the health of workers.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Family and Community Medicine , Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Daryl A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
authors.forename: Dana C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Arcury
authors.forename: Haiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quandt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D005525:Food-Processing Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011200:Poultry; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000503:physiopathology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013716:Tennis Elbow / Q000453:epidemiology; D000078329:Workforce; D017132:Workplace
keywords: Employer differences; Latino immigrant workers; musculoskeletal injuries