Child Labor and Musculoskeletal Disorders: The Pelotas (Brazil) Epidemiological Survey

Abstract

SYNOPSISObjectives. This article describes the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in several anatomic sites in children and teens, and investigates, while adjusting for potential confounders, the association between musculoskeletal pain and back pain and the following: age, gender, sports practice, use of computer/video games/television, school attendance, intensity of involvement in household domestic activities, care of other children, care of sick/elderly family members, work activities, and workloads.Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study interviewing 3,269 children aged 10-17 years in the low-income areas of Pelotas, Brazil.Results. The prevalence of pain in the neck, knee, wrist or hands, and upper back exceeded 15%. Workers in manufacturing had a significantly increased risk for musculoskeletal pain (prevalence ratio [PR]ϭ1.31) and for back pain (PRϭ1.69), while workers in domestic service had 17% more musculoskeletal pain and 23% more back pain than nonworkers. Awkward posture (PRϭ1.15) and heavy physical work (PRϭ1.07) were associated with musculoskeletal pain, while monotonous work (PRϭ1.34), awkward posture (PRϭ1.31), and noise (PRϭ1.25) were associated with back pain.Conclusions. Musculoskeletal pain is common among working children and teens. Knowledge of occupational risk factors can support actions to restructure work conditions to reduce or eliminate childhood exposure to hazardous conditions. Our results suggest that strategies to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in child workers should be developed.

Prevalência da dor lombar no Brasil: uma revisão sistemática

“…After the screening process (titles, abstracts, and full text reading), 18 studies 34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51 (with a population of 19,387 individuals and samples varying from 56 to 3,269 participants 34,39 ) met the inclusion criteria. Figure 1 shows flow diagram of this review.…”

“…Most of the studies included males and females, ranging from children 39 to the elderly 50 , with populations residing in urban and rural areas 44 , but none showed separate prevalence values according to gender. Three studies 34,36,44 reported on the prevalence of low back pain exclusively in women, two of which presenting the rates observed in female urban workers 34,36 and one in female farm laborers 44 , but the different prevalence periods prevented any comparison.…”

“…The principal research design was crosssectional. Data collection used original questionnaires in 50% of the studies 34,37,40,41,42,44,46,49,50 , while the Nordic questionnaire 52 was used in the remaining studies 35,36,38,39,43,45,47,48,51 . In most of the studies, prevalence of low back pain was verified in specific groups of workers or in students.…”

“…The most common prevalence estimates were one year prevalence, seven days prevalence. The high heterogeneity of eligible studies also prevented a summary prevalence rate over time in most of the periods analyzed, and it was only possible to verify the one-year prevalence of low back pain, reaching more than 50% of adults 35,36,43 and 13.1% to 19.5% of adolescents 39,45 , whereas chronic low back pain affected between 4.2% and 14.7% of the overall population 38,42 .…”

Perfil demográfico, socioeconômico e de saúde de crianças e adolescentes trabalhadores e não trabalhadores, Brasil: análise das desigualdades

“…Obter informações de crianças e familiares sobre trabalho infantil e conhecer seus efeitos sobre a saúde é um desafio, mas algumas evidências já apontam que tais impactos podem ser mais prejudiciais quanto menor a idade da criança, maior interferência em atividades escolares, maior jornada de trabalho e maior a exposição a riscos ocupacionais 38 . Estudos nacionais encontraram a associação entre trabalho infantil e dores musculoesqueléticas 39 ; problemas comportamentais (que poderiam envolver agressividade, ansiedade e depressão) 40 e maior chance de sofrer agressão física e ferimentos; sentir-se só 41 e ter problemas de sono 41,42 .…”