title: Musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) and their associations with ergonomic physical risk factors of the women engaging in regular rural household activities: A picture from a rural village in Bangladesh.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Musculoskeletal complaints among housewives are very common around the world. In Bangladesh, although the majority of women are involved in various household activities, no studies were found related to musculoskeletal health and ergonomic risk factors for this work.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study explored the prevalence of commonly affected body parts where the women experienced Musculoskeletal Symptoms (MSS), the disruption of normal activities due to the MSS, and the association of MSS with ergonomic physical risk factors among women engaging in regular household activities in a rural village of Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were women aged 20-45 in a small village in Bangladesh who were involved in regular household activities for at least 5 hours a day for the past year.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 73 women were found eligible though door-to-door home visits to determine the prevalence of MSS. Women who had already been diagnosed with any arthritic conditions like rheumatoid and osteoarthritis were excluded for the study. The Standardized Nordic Questionnaire (SNQ) was used to determine the prevalence of MSS. Forty-six women out of 73 who reported MSS in the past 12 months were voluntarily assessed using the Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) risk assessment to determine the association between physical risk factors and MSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  68.49% (n=50) women reported having MSS during the last 12 months and 50.68% (n=37) of the respondents were prevented from normal daily activities due to MSS. Most commonly affected regions were upper and lower back, wrist, knees and elbows. Awkward posture, such as bending, lifting and working in squatting position, movements of repetition were associated with MSS in different body parts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of MSS and the resultant disruption of regular activities among rural women indicate that ergonomic attention is needed to improve their well-being.
authors: Department of Occupational Therapy, Bangladesh Health Professions Institute, Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors: Md Monjuru
authors: MM
authors: Habib
authors: Department of Occupational Therapy, Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors: Saleh Ur
authors: SU
authors: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D006796:Household Work; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011187:Posture; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS); ergonomic physical risk factors; household activities