scholarly journals Investigation of Correlation of Musculoskeletal Disorders With Work Ability Index and Allowable Load Lifting Limit

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 14-23
Author(s):  
Seyed Sajad Ataei ◽  
Payam Heydari ◽  
Sakineh Varmazyar
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (Suppl.1) ◽  
pp. 72-79
Author(s):  
G. Sandeva ◽  
V. Tsvetkova ◽  
G. Prakova

Demographic trends in the EU-27 show a gradual increase of the 55-64 age group (26% of the workforce). Natural aging is accompanied by complex age-related changes that lead to a progressive decrease in the body's adaptive capacity. The Work Ability Index (WAI) is a self-assessment tool for the physical and mental resources needed to perform various work activities. PURPOSE of this study was to determine WAI, musculoskeletal disorders and workplace risk factors for the employees of Trakia University, Stara Zagora. METHODS: A survey was performed using the WAI Questionnaire, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire, and a questionnaire on risk factors in the work environment. RESULTS: The total number of valid surveys was 513 (56.5% of all employees). Workers aged 55-64 had the highest share - 36.6%, followed by those aged 45-54 years (24.9%). The mean WAI score for all employees was good - 41.5. Clinical teaching staff had the highest mean WAI score (43.7), while preclinical tutors (40.9) and medical professionals (40.6) had the lowest. A significant negative correlation was found between WAI and age (r = -0.15; p <0.0005), as well as between WAI and work experience (r = -0.17; p <0.0003). Most common in the prevalence of reported diseases were musculoskeletal disorders (25.0%), followed by cardiovascular (14.69%) and gastrointestinal diseases (12.7%). Risk factor analysis showed that 55.9% of the respondents indicated using display screen equipment, 37.5% - frequent, repetitive hand movements, and 27.7% - working at a non-ergonomic workstation for at least half of the working time. CONCLUSION: The obtained results show good work ability of the employees at the university, but also the need for prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, which are mainly due to long work hours involving display screen equipment.


2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel A P Walsh ◽  
Jorge Oishi ◽  
Helenice J C Gil Coury

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate musculoskeletal disorders among active industrial workers. METHODS: The study was carried out in São Carlos, Southeastern Brazil, in 2005. One hundred and thirty-four female workers were physically evaluated and answered questions about their physical symptoms, filled out a pain scale and gave responses in the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, and the Work Ability Index questionnaire. The data were analyzed descriptively, and in correlation tests and through applying logistic regression. The outcome was evaluated in relation to the perceptions of pain, symptoms, physical assessment, ability to work and disability. RESULTS: Clinical evaluations and sick leave presented positive correlations with the subjective variables. The Work Ability Index presented a negative correlation with the physical disability index (r=-0.69). Symptoms reported at the time of the assessment presented a good correlation with the results from the pain scale and the clinical findings. Previous sick leave showed an association with disability (OR=1.13; 95% CI:1.08;1.18). CONCLUSION: Symptom reports and pain scales may be useful for assessing current conditions at the time of evaluating individuals with work-related musculoskeletal disorders, as they are easier to apply. In more severe cases of such injuries, clinical and functional evaluations and questionnaires such as those relating to ability to work and disability are preferable. Precise and specific evaluations of these disorders may contribute towards fairer legal and administrative decisions.


Author(s):  
Mahnaz Saremi ◽  
Rohollah Fallah Madvari ◽  
Amirhossein Khoshakhlagh ◽  
Fereydoon Laal

The article's abstract is not available.  


Author(s):  
LEILA IBRAHIMI GHAVAMABADI1 ◽  
BEHZAD FOULADI DEHAGHI ◽  
BEHNOUSH JAFARI

Shift work is a social phenomenon with adverse effects on the lives and health of people in various aspects. This adverse effect decreases shift workers’ ability over a time period. The aim of the present study was to survey disturbances due to shift work and some disorders associated with work ability index among nurses in educational hospitals, Ahvaz, Iran. This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 33 nurses at the Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran. The survey of shift workers questionnaire (SOS) and the Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire was used as data collection tools. The related data was analyzed based on the descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test, and Spearman correlation test using IBM SPSS software version 19. The results showed that 97% of problems related to the effects of shift work on the individuals’ lives, families, and musculoskeletal disorders, 87.9% related to insomnia and social problems, and 75.8% related to mental disorders. Although it showed a significant relationship between the workability index with the variable of experience and mental disorders, it showed no significant relationship between the prevalence of insomnia and musculoskeletal disorders variables. The results of this study showed that shift working disrupts mental, social, and physical health that ultimately adversely affect the ability of shift workers. Therefore, it was recommended to adjust working hours and allocate the appropriate shifts to improve the workability of individuals.


2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1135-1148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Yong ◽  
Michael Nasterlack ◽  
Rolf-Peter Pluto ◽  
Kathrin Elmerich ◽  
Dorothee Karl ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Yasmín Ezzatvar ◽  
Joaquín Calatayud ◽  
Lars Louis Andersen ◽  
Edgar Ramos Vieira ◽  
Rubén López-Bueno ◽  
...  

The Work Ability Index (WAI) is a validated and widely used tool in occupational research. However, normative values for physical therapists (PTs) by age and sex are lacking. Although the nature of PTs’ work is physically demanding, it is unknown whether muscular fitness is associated with their WAI. This study sought to provide reference WAI data for Spanish PTs and to evaluate the association between PTs’ muscular fitness and WAI. Data on WAI of 1005 PTs were collected using a questionnaire. A subgroup (n = 68) performed a battery of physical tests including grip strength, push-ups and back-extension endurance. Associations between muscular fitness and WAI were evaluated using logistic regression controlling for various confounders. PTs aged 50 years or older had lower WAI scores than their younger counterparts. PTs with high back-extension endurance scored 3.5 (95% CI) higher in the WAI than those with low endurance. No associations were found between grip strength or number of push-ups and WAI. Our findings seem to highlight the importance of muscular fitness in PTs, especially the back-extension endurance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamunur Rashid ◽  
Marina Heiden ◽  
Annika Nilsson ◽  
Marja-Leena Kristofferzon

Abstract Background Impaired work ability and reduced life satisfaction due to long-term musculoskeletal pain, particularly in neck, shoulders and back, are considered occupational health problems that can result in workers taking sick leave. The aim of the study was to determine whether work ability and life satisfaction predict return to work (RTW) among women with long-term neck/shoulder and/or back pain, and to assess the ability of the Work Ability Index (WAI) and the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LiSat-11) to discriminate between those who did RTW and those who did not RTW (NRTW). Methods This is a cohort study with 1-year follow-up. A survey was sent to 600 women receiving sick leave benefits from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. In total, 208 women responded at baseline, and 141 at a 1-year follow-up. To identify whether work ability and life satisfaction predicted RTW, multiple logistic regression analyses were performed with and without adjustment for type of work and pain intensity. To assess the discriminative ability of the WAI and the LiSat-11 for women who did RTW and those who did NRTW, receiver operating characteristic curves were fitted. Results Work ability predicted RTW, and the results remained significant after adjusting for type of work and pain intensity (OR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.04–1.22). Life satisfaction was not significant. The WAI at baseline adequately discriminated between RTW and NRTW after 1 year (Area under curve 0.78, 95% CI: 0.70–0.86), but the LiSat-11 did not. Conclusions This study supports a relationship between work ability and RTW among women on sick leave for long-term neck/shoulder and/or back pain. The results indicate that the WAI, but not the LiSat-11, can discriminate between RTW and NRTW in the population under study. Although the discriminative ability of the WAI needs to be verified in new samples before it can be recommended for use in rehabilitation settings, we suggest that healthcare professionals consider how women perceive their work ability in order to better support them in their RTW.


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