title: Prevalence, pattern, and factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders among pluckers in a tea plantation in Tamil Nadu, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Musculoskeletal pain is common among tea leaf pluckers and is attributed to the load they carry, long working hours, the terrain, and insufficient job rotations. As a result of this, their health and work capacity are affected.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence, patterns, and factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) among pluckers in a tea plantation in Annamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study surveyed 195 pluckers selected by simple random sampling aged between 18 years and 60 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  The interview schedule had four parts--sociodemographic detail, Standard Nordic Scale, numeric and facial pain rating tool, and a tool to assess factors associated with WRMDs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the last 12 months and the last 7 days was 83.6% and 78.5%, respectively. The most common site for last 1 year was shoulder (59%) and for last 7 days was the lower back (52.8%). Independent t-test revealed that the mean age of those with pain was 6.59 year more and mean years of employment was 1.38 years more among the workers with pain compared to workers without pain. Increasing morbidities among workers was also significantly associated with an increase in WRMDs on Chi-square test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was high among tea pluckers and the most common site during the last 12 months and the last 7 days was the shoulder and lower back respectively was mild in character. Increase in age and duration of employment was associated with WRMDs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Deepthi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vasanth
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Naveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Farah Naaz
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Fathima
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Ria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Steffi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jennifer
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Bobby
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Joseph
keywords: Nordic questionnaire; pain; pluckers; tea plantation; work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WRMD)