ArticleBMJ open2015
Assessing the impact of waste picking on musculoskeletal disorders among waste pickers in Mumbai, India: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMJ open, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among various occupational workers in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of occupational health · 2024Pooled it
- Determinants of Occupational Health and Safety Outcomes Among Sanitation Workers Across Worldwide: A Systematic Review on Cross-Sectional Studies.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingPooled it
- Prevalence and associated factors of catastrophic health expenditure among adults with chronic pain in an urban slum of Delhi: a community-based cross-sectional study.Frontiers in health services · 2026Article
- Musculoskeletal disorders and other occupational health outcomes among sanitation workers in Nepal: A community based cross-sectional survey exploring the risk factors, knowledge, and practices.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Occupational Health Sufferings of Child Waste Workers in South Asia: A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Health Help-Seeking Behavior: The Scavengers' Perspective.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Men and women waste pickers on landfills in Johannesburg, South Africa: divergence in health, and socioeconomic status.International archives of occupational and environmental health · 2022Article
- Moderating and Mediating Effects of Over-Commitment on the Association Between Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) with Upper Back and Hand/Wrist Disorders in Municipal Solid Waste Collectors.Journal of pain research · 2022Article
- Individual, physical, and organizational risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among municipality solid waste collectors in Shiraz, Iran.Industrial health · 2018Article
- Prevalence, predictors and economic burden of morbidities among waste-pickers of Mumbai, India: a cross-sectional study.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2017Article
- Article
- Morphofunctional parameters, physical fitness and musculoskeletal symptoms in cooperative recyclers.Revista brasileira de medicina do trabalho : publicacao oficial da Associacao Nacional de Medicina do Trabalho-ANAMTArticle
- Status of resource recycling stations in Taiwan and recycling work-related health effects.Tzu chi medical journalReview
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) as well as the impact of the occupation of waste picking on complaints of MSDs among waste pickers. The study attempts to understand the risk factors for MSDs in various areas of the body.
designA cross-sectional household survey was conducted using a case-control design. The survey instrument for measuring musculoskeletal symptoms was adopted from a standardised Nordic questionnaire. The impact of the occupation of waste picking on MSDs was analysed using the propensity score matching (PSM) method.
participantsThe study population consisted of waste pickers (n=200) who had been working for at least a year and a control group (n=213) selected from among or living close to the same communities.
resultsThe 12-month prevalence of MSDs was higher among waste pickers (79%) compared to controls (55%) particularly in the lower back (54-36%), knee (48-35%), upper back (40-21%) and shoulder (32-12%). Similar patterns were observed in the 12-month prevalence of MSDs which prevented normal activity inside and outside the home, particularly for the lower back (36-21%), shoulder (21-7%) and upper back (25-12%) for waste pickers and controls. Analysis of the impact of waste picking on complaints of MSDs suggests that the occupation of waste picking raises the risk of MSDs particularly in the shoulder, lower and upper back. Older age and longer duration of work are significant risk factors for MSDs.
conclusionsThe findings suggest a relatively higher prevalence of MSDs among waste pickers, particularly in the lower and upper back and shoulder, compared to controls. Preventive measures and treatment to minimise the burden of MSDs among waste pickers are strongly recommended.
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