Burden of Neck Pain and Associated Factors Among Sewing Machine Operators of Garment Factories in Mekelle City, Northern Part of Ethiopia, 2018, A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Neck pain is a major public health problem among sewing machine operators working in textile factories. Even though the textile industries are growing in number in Ethiopia, but there is a dearth of published studies on the prevalence of neck pain. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of neck pain among sewing machine operators of garment factories in Mekelle city. Method An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was implemented among 297 sewing machine operators' working in garment factories in Mekelle city. A systematic random sampling technique was used. Data were collected through interviews and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 23. Finally, variables with 95% confidence interval (CI): p < 0.05 in the multivariate analysis were significantly declared. Results Two hundred ninety-seven sewing machine operators were enrolled, with 98.7% response rates. In this study, the 12-month prevalence rate of neck pain was found to be 42.3% (95% CI: 36.6%–47.9%), and variables like such as break time [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 5.888, 95% CI: (2.775–12.493)], working hours per day [AOR: 6.495, 95% CI: (2.216–19.038)], static posture [AOR: 4.487, 95% CI (1.640–12.275)], and repetitive activity [AOR: 4.519, 95% CI:(2.057–9.924)] were associated with neck pain. Conclusion In this study, neck pain is a major public health problem. Continuous work without break time, working greater than 8 hours per day, sitting in the same position for greater than 2 hours, and high repetitive activities were found significantly associated with neck pain. Owners and governmental bodies need to focus on developing preventive strategies and safety guidelines.

Reduction of Fatigue and Musculoskeletal Complaints in Garment Sewing Operator through a Combination of Stretching Brain Gym® and Touch for Health

“…The position of the garment sewing operators, with their head bowed while sewing, results in neck and lower neck pain. The positioning of the head, which is not in the straight line of the spine, prompts neck pain [8], and increasing the endurance of the neck and shoulder muscles can prevent neck pain [40]. In addition, the prolonged sitting position of a garment-sewing operator promotes complaints of pain in the neck, lower back, and knee [9].…”

“…The duration and frequency of program interventions from the study of Marangoni et al [31], with stretching once every six minutes, lasting 10 to 15 s, every day for 15-17 days, can reduce MSDs pain in office workers without changing the work layout, which is considered to disturb the concentration of workers due to the interrupted work time. In this study, the combination of stretching and BG + TfH movements for 5 min in two sessions three times a week, carried out at the side of the desk, did not interfere with work, refreshed workers from monotonous work [6][7][8], and reduced musculoskeletal complaints.…”

“…The garment-sewing operators' work is in delimited rooms and their posture is restrained by both the visual and manual aspects of the task [4]. In addition, the garment-sewing operators' work involves prolonged sitting positions and whole-day repetitive movement, and the rapid pace of the work leads to risk of fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) [5][6][7][8][9]. Fatigue has contributed to the occurrence of MSDs and is still a problem for ergonomics researchers around the world [10], affecting mental and physical health [11,12], increasing the frequency of workplace accidents, and decreasing productivity [13].…”

Redesign of Workspace Through an Ergo-Lean Model to Reduce Musculoskeletal Disorders in SMEs In the Clothing Accessories Sector

“…The results of the articles show that the highest percentages of the presence of symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders are found in Africa and Asia, where there are maximum percentages of 80% and an average 55% presence of these symptoms in workers in the sector [14]. As such, it was found that the workers who have the greatest impact in the manufacturing industry are female when they are given jobs with high muscular impact, which is why the number of women in the area is small [15].…”

A systems-level evaluation of the biomechanical response of the cervical spine to sagittal plane flexion

“…For example, it has been estimated that between 7% and 74% of surgeons suffer from neck-related pain as a result of their job (Alhusuny et al, 2019). In the textile and garment industry, the 12-month prevalence of neck disorders was estimated to be between 42.3% and 46.3%, with males being at higher risk than females (Tafese et al, 2018, Biadgo et al, 2020. Furthermore, epidemiological studies from other occupations such as construction and sedentary computer usage (Tsauo et al, 2007) have reported work-related neck problems at prevalence rates of 38% and 25%, respectively.…”