Relationship between physical activity and musculoskeletal disorders among low income housewives in Kuala Lumpur: A cross sectional study

Abstract

Housewives play a crucial role in their families’ and communities’ quality of life. However, musculoskeletal disorders are common among housewives due to housework and lack of physical activity. These musculoskeletal problems have been associated to leisure physical activity. As a result, the goal of this study was to determine the incidence of musculoskeletal problems and their association to physical activity among low-income women in Kuala Lumpur. A cross-sectional research was done among 82 housewives in Kuala Lumpur’s low-income housing area. Housewives were asked to fill out a sociodemographic questionnaire, a short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), and body mass index were measured by researcher. The total prevalence of musculoskeletal problems was found to be 89.0%, with the lowest frequency in the lower back (35%), followed by the knee (31%), ankle or foot (31%), and elbow (1% %). The subjects spent an average of 117.6 + 474.8 minutes per week on MVPA and 524 + 810.3 MET minutes per week on physical activity. A total of 88% of the participants had a low level of physical activity, 8.5 percent had a moderate level of activity, and 3.7% had a high level of activity. In a Chi-square test, there was no significant association between musculoskeletal problems and physical activity. The primary sociodemographic factors impacting musculoskeletal diseases were body mass index and household income, while the primary variables influencing physical activity were household income and education level, according to a logistic regression test. In a Poisson regression test, only body mass index had a significant relationship with number of musculoskeletal disorders. In conclusion, housewives are likely to suffer from musculoskeletal problems, with a high incidence in the lower back, knees, ankles, and feet, and the majority of them engage in little physical activity. Furthermore, the high percentage of musculoskeletal problems in this study varies with the findings of other research based on the type of housework done by housewives in low-cost housing areas. Future research should look at identifying the sorts of household tasks and positions employed, as well as the amount of hours spent on housework each week.

Relationship between musculoskeletal body region pain complaints, depression and physical activity level in major hospitals of Abbottabad, Pakistan

“…The present study nds negligible associations for neck pain and some other body regions indicate that factors other than employment status and age may be more in uential in determining pain prevalence such as quality of life [18], low socio economic status [19], poor posture and diet [20]. These results were supported by study conducted by Saat et al [21]. Employers regard to their age may need to tailor their health and safety policies to address their speci c needs, like ergonomic accommodations for older workers or implementing age-appropriate practice setting and specialty area [22].…”

Empowering Rural Housewives in Iran: Utilizing the Transtheoretical Model to Increase Physical Activity

“…Housewives frequently struggle to find time for physical exercise amidst their household responsibilities. Research has consistently demonstrated that housewives exhibit lower levels of PA [ 5 ]. This trend is not unique to any specific region; in Iran, for example, studies have similarly revealed that PA among housewives is markedly low [ 6 ].…”

Spatial clustering of overweight/obesity among women in India: Insights from the latest National Family Health Survey

“…Overweight/obesity is recognized as major risk factor for multiple non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancers, musculoskeletal disorders and cardiovascular diseases [ 6 – 8 ]. In 2019, around 5 million deaths from NCDs were linked to having a higher than recommended body mass index (BMI) [ 9 ].…”