ArticleAnnals of global health2020
The Impact of Heavy Load Carrying on Musculoskeletal Pain and Disability Among Women in Shinyanga Region, Tanzania.
Article in Annals of global health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.
- Diverse Health, Gender and Economic Impacts from Domestic Transport of Water and Solid Fuel: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Musculoskeletal discomfort, urinary incontinence, and health-related quality of life in female farmers aged 40-65 years: a cross-sectional comparative study from rural Türkiye.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and contributing factors among social security workers in Dar es Salaam: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Pioneering Soundscapes: Investigating Commercial Fused Deposition Modelling Filament's Potential for Ultrasound Technology in Bone Tissue Scaffolds.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Modeling and Evaluation of an Energy-Saving Backpack with Adjustable Stiffness.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- A cross-sectional study to assess the occupational health hazards among fisherwomen in a metropolitan city.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2024Article
- Article
- Self-reported musculoskeletal disorder symptoms and associated factors among water carrying women in Legambo district, Northeastern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study design.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Water fetching and musculoskeletal health across the life-course in Sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and risk factors among weavers: A cross-sectional study.The South African journal of physiotherapy · 2023Article
- Ergonomic Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Disorders among Ethnic Lychee-Longan Harvesting Workers in Northern Thailand.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- A Methodology for Harmonizing Safety and Health Scales in Occupational Risk Assessment.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Heavy Load Carrying and Symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse among Women in Tanzania and Nepal: An Exploratory Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Heavy load carrying has been associated with musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) and disability. However, there is a lack of research investigating this association in resource-constrained settings where heavy load carrying by women is common. Objectives: We assessed the impact of heavy load carrying on musculoskeletal pain and disability among women in Shinyanga Region, Tanzania, in an exploratory cross-sectional study. Methods: Eligible participants were a convenience sample of women, at least 18 years of age, who passed a study recruitment site carrying a load. We collected information on load-carrying practices, including frequency and time spent carrying water, wood, agricultural products, coal, sand, or rocks, and measured the weight of the load carried at the time. Outcomes included self-reported MSDs, defined as experiencing pain lasting >3 days in the neck, head, back, knees, feet and/or ankles within the last 1 year, and related disability. Using multivariable logistic regression we assessed for associations between load carrying exposures and MSDs and disability. Findings: Results showed a high prevalence of MSDs across the body regions assessed and evidence to suggest a relationship of back pain and related disability with several measures of load-carrying, including duration, frequency, and weight. Multivariable analyses revealed associations of increased load carrying exposures with low back pain (LBP) and related disability, including statistically significant increases in odds of LBP with increasing weight, total duration of load carrying/week and cumulative loads/week. Conclusions: Findings indicate a substantial burden of MSDs and disability in this population of women who carry heavy loads daily. The extent of discomfort and disability increased with increasing exposure to various load-carrying measures, especially for LBP. Larger epidemiologic studies that definitively assess relationships of load carrying with MSDs and disability are warranted.
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