Background
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) decrease productivity. The objective of this systematic review was to estimate the regional prevalence of MSD among healthcare professionals in Africa.
Methods
After prospective registration (PROSPERO CRD42023455517), a literature search was conducted in PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar in August 2023. Observational studies that reported the prevalence of MSDs among healthcare professionals were included. Studies were assessed for risk of bias in duplicate. The data were pooled using random effects models to estimate the prevalence of MSD with 95% confidence interval (CI) and I2 statistic captured heterogeneity.
Results
From 17,322 citations, 18 studies (4486 participants) were included. Of these, 8 (44%) were high-quality studies and 10 (56%) medium-quality. The overall pooled prevalence of MSDs was 70.8% (95% CI 61.9–78.961.9–78.9, I2 97.5%). The regional prevalence of MSDs in East Africa was 68.7% (95% CI 58.4–78.1, I2 94.9%; 7 studies, 1885 participants); West Africa 72.0% (95% CI 53.2–87.4, I2 95.8%; 4 studies, 604 participants); South Africa 61.6% (95% CI 53.0–70.0, I2 77.5%; 3 studies, 681 participants); and, North Africa 79.6% (95% CI 50.6–97.5, I2 99.2%; 4 studies, 1316 participants). The prevalence of MSDs among different professional groupings was: Physiotherapists 89.8% (95% CI 74.3–98.6, I2 97.4%; 4 studies, 1061 participants); Nurses 65.3% (95% CI 55.2–74.8, I2 65.3%; 8 studies, 2239 participants); Dentists 67.8% (95% CI 58.2–76.7, I2 87.5%; 4 studies, 827 participants); and, Medical laboratory staff 52.8% (95% CI 43.6–61.9, I2 52.8%; 2 studies, 359 participants).
Conclusion
Pooling studies of mixed quality revealed a high prevalence of MSD among healthcare professionals in Africa. This meta-analysis will help in regional occupational healthcare policy and prevention programs among various healthcare professions.
