ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2025
Prevalence and determinants of Musculoskeletal Disorders among quarry workers in The Gambia: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMusculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common work-related conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system owing to poor ergonomic practices, overexertion, and repetitive motions. Globally, MSDs account for a significant proportion of disabilities due to the physical tasks and demanding nature of jobs. Despite global efforts to reduce occupational hazards, little information is available on MSDs among quarry workers in Gambia. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the prevalence of MSDs and their associated factors in quarry workers in Gambia.
methodsThis study adopted an analytical cross-sectional design that was conducted in 2023. A total of 258 quarry workers were selected from 4 quarries in the West Coast Region. Participants were randomly selected and the Standardised Nordic Questionnaire (SNQ) was modified and used with additional structured questionnaires. Data were collected using the Kobo Collect App and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 27.0. Bivariate analysis was conducted using binary logistic regression, Pearson's chi-square test, point-biserial correlation, and Fisher's exact test to identify the association between predictors and outcome variables. Statistical significance was considered at a p-value < 0.05, and the significance was also reported using an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI).
resultsThe study revealed a high MSD prevalence of 93% among quarry workers, with the most affected body parts being the lower back (90.3%), shoulders (68.1%), and upper back (61.3%). Significant associations were observed between MSDs and factors such as nationality (p = 0.048), job description (p = 0.047), BMI score (p < 0.001), periodic health examination (p = 0.031), years of experience (p = 0.029), health and safety training (p = 0.044), and lifting or carrying weights (p = 0.044). Quarry workers whose nationality was Gambian had 82.8% (aOR = 0.172; 95% CI = 0.048-0.619) reduced odds of sustaining MSDs when compared to respondents whose nationality was non-Gambian. Increasing years of experience had 15.0% (aOR = 0.850; 95% CI = 0.725-0.997), increase in hours of daily work had 40.3% (aOR = 0.597; 95% CI = 0.386-0.925), and increasing BMI score had 29.9% (aOR = 0.701; 95% CI = 0.584-0.841) reduction in the odds of sustaining MSDs. However, increasing household size among quarry workers had 1.26 (aOR = 1.261; 95% CI = 1.015-1.566) higher odds of sustaining MSDs.
conclusionThis study underscores a critical public health concern with the high prevalence of MSDs among quarry workers in The Gambia, which is associated with poor ergonomic training and inadequate safety training. Reducing the burden of MSDs in this population requires interventions that focus on better working conditions, ergonomic training, and regular health evaluations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.