Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Risk Factors among Truck Drivers at the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company

Abstract

An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 283 truck drivers and 100 work site controls at the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC). All participants were males with experience ranged from 5 to 35 years. Clinical evaluation consisted of an assessment of social habits and demographic data and risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders MSDs. Relatedness of MSDs with risk factors between the two groups was checked by univariate and multivariate analyses. 42% of the occupational drivers reported back pain and only 7.2% reported legs pain. These prevalence rates were significantly higher than those found among clerical workers (37.7% and 3.8%, respectively). Elevated incidences of pain in lumbar vertebrae, shoulder, and knee were recorded. Musculoskeletal pain significantly increased with age, weight, sitting posture and overwork. Surveyed truckers were found to have significant issues affecting their health; hemorrhoidectomy (9.84%), thyroidectomy (7.56%), disc surgery (4.37%), and varicosity (3.28%). These findings may help researchers to develop interventions to improve emotional and occupational health of health of truck drivers. It is recommended to improve the truck drivers working conditions to avoid or reduce their problems.