Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, levels of physical
activity and perceived quality of life amongst construction site managers in
Mumbai: A case study
Issue title: Humanizing Work and Work Environment: A
challenge for developing countries
Affiliations: Ergonomics and Human Factors Engineering, National
Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Suman Mukhopadhyay, Ergonomics and
Human Factors Engineering, NITIE, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Tel.: +91 22
28573371, ext. 520/477; Fax: +91 22 28574033; E-mail:
suman_nitie@rediffmail.com
Abstract: Objective: The study aimed to explicate the levels of physical
activity, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the perceived
quality of life in construction site managers. Participants: Twenty two site managers working at a site in National
Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai were selected for the
study. Methods: The participants responded to Nordic Musculoskeletal
Questionnaire (NMQ) and the World Health Organization's (WHO), Quality of Life
(QOL), and General Physical Activity (GPAQ) Questionnaires. Results: In Quality of Life (QOL), 55% of the participants fell
under 'good' psychological domain, while 55% categorized their work environment
as 'poor'. Among musculoskeletal problems, low back pain and upper back pain
was predominantly reported by the managers. Total physical activity was
observed to be 836 Metabolic Equivalent of Task-minutes/week
(MET-minutes/week). Conclusion: Although the Construction managers were not involved in
any kind of rigorous work at the workplace, they were observed to be suffering
from musculoskeletal problems of the back. 'Poor' category of environmental
domain suggested that the working conditions needed to be improved and could be
a reason for their ailment.
Keywords: Well-being, work related musculoskeletal disorders, body mass index
