There was a prevalence of work-related MSDs among the teachers. Advanced educational qualification, elevated teaching boards, teaching experience over 10 years and age range of 35-50 years were the major predictors of MSDs.

Pregnancy and postpartum periods have been associated with physical changes, mental health problems, including stress, anxiety, depression and psychosis as well as changes in women's quality of life (QOL). 11-13 Some ABSTRACT Background: Antenatal exercise (ANE) has been reported to improve postpartum health outcomes in women. However, postpartum health related outcomes of ANE have been inconsistent in previous studies and have not been studied in a Nigerian population. This study assessed the influence of ANE on postpartum health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Nigerian women. Methods: 350 purposively selected women participated in this cohort study. During the last two pregnancy trimesters, participants completed a questionnaire assessing ANE practice/pattern while the Short Form (SF-36) questionnaire was used to assess HRQOL during postpartum. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with alpha level set at 0.05. Results: Majority (82.9%) of the women practiced ANE. Women who did not exercise showed significantly (p = 0.001) higher general health scores than those who did not. Women who exercised for <30 mins also showed significantly (p = 0.040) higher general health scores, as compared to those who exercised for ≥30 mins. HRQOL was negatively correlated with each of practice and duration of ANE. Conclusions: It was concluded that ANE practice and patterns did not improve postpartum HRQOL. Improved education and supervision of ANE is recommended for improved postpartum health outcomes.

Background: Carrying an infant is a physically demanding task which usually involves trunk loading, resulting in biomechanical stress on the musculoskeletal tissues. Aim: This cross sectional study investigated the prevalence and correlates of infant carrying-related low back pain (ICRLBP) in nursing mothers. Methods: A convenience sample of 192 Igbo-speaking mothers (18-35 years) with infants ≤ 2 years old completed a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire that included questions related to maternal demographics, postpartum characteristics and history of ICRLBP was employed in the study. Results: Mean maternal age and infant weight were 25.02 ±0.78 and 6.75±1.62 respectively. The findings revealed a high prevalence (82.3%) of ICRLBP among the nursing mothers. Majority (87.3%) of the affected women reported of mild low back pain. Maternal and infant factors were not significantly associated with the prevalence of ICRLBP. However, maternal age of > 35 years (OR = 6.41; 95% CI = 0.70-58.50), nursing an infant weighing > 10 kg (OR = 2.80; 95% CI = 0.50-15.82), previous caesarean birth (OR = 2.40; 95% CI = 0.94-6.12) and civil service (OR = 2.09; 95% CI = 0.81-5.02)were the highest risk factors of infant carrying-related low back pain. Conclusions: Infant carrying-related low back pain is prevalent among nursing mothers. Maternal and infant factors are not predictors of ICRLBP. Maternal education and ergonomic interventions relative to efficient infant carrying methods and suitable infant weights as tools for preventing musculoskeletal discomforts are recommended.

Infant carrying is an integral part of the mothering occupation. Paucity of data exists on its correlates and associated musculoskeletal injuries. In this study, factors and musculoskeletal injuries associated with infant carrying were investigated in 227 nursing mothers, using a structured questionnaire. 77.1% utilised the back infant carrying methods (ICM). Maternal comfort was the major factor influencing participants' (37.4%) choices of ICMs. Infant's age (p = .000) and transportation means (p = .045) were significantly associated with ICMs. Low back pain (82.8%) and upper back pain (74.9%) were the most reported musculoskeletal discomforts associated with ICMs, especially among women who utilised back ICM. Back ICM is predominantly used by nursing mothers. Impact statement Infant carrying has been associated with increased energy cost and biomechanical changes. Currently, there is a paucity of data on infant carrying-related musculoskeletal injuries. In this study, investigating factors and musculoskeletal injuries associated with infant carrying, the results showed that back infant carrying method is predominantly used by nursing mothers. Age of the infant and mothers' means of transportation were determinant factors of infant carrying methods. Among the several reported infant carrying-related musculoskeletal disorders, low back and upper back pain were the most prevalent, especially among women who utilised the back infant carrying method. There is need for women's health specialists to introduce appropriate ergonomic training and interventions on infant carrying tasks in order to improve maternal musculoskeletal health during the childbearing years and beyond. Further experimental studies on the effects of various infant carrying methods on the musculoskeletal system are recommended.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the arch height index of pregnant women and its correlation with foot pain, anterior knee pain, and lower back pain. Subjects and Methods: Two hundred and fifteen consenting pregnant women participated in this cross-sectional study. The arch height index was assessed from their foot prints, while pain intensity was rated on a numerical rating scale. Data were summarized with descriptive statistics and the Pearson correlation was used to determine correlations between the variables at p < 0.05. Results: Of the 215 pregnant women, 123 (57.2%) and 127 (59.9%) had low arch heights on the right and left feet, respectively, and the mean arch height indices were 0.27 ± 0.71 for the right foot and 0.28 ± 0.07 for the left foot. The prevalence of foot, knee, and lower back pain was 65 (30.2%), 43 (20.0%), and 93 (43.3%), respectively. The Pearson correlation analysis did not reveal any significant relationship (p > 0.05) between foot pain and each of the right (r = -0.010, p = 0.886) and left (r = 0.004, p = 0.955) arch indices as well as between knee pain and each of the right (r = 0.042, p = 0.536) and left (r = 0.045, p = 0.515) arch indices. A similar trend was observed for the lower back, which also did not show any significant relationship to each of the right (r = 0.026, p = 0.703) and left (r = 0.097, p = 0.157) arch indices. Conclusion: The study participants had a high prevalence of low foot arches, indicating pes planus. Lower back pain was more common than foot and knee pain. The foot arch heights did not show any relationships between the intensities of foot, anterior knee, and lower back pain.