Affiliations: [a] Riphah College of Rehabilitation and Allied Health Sciences, Riphah International University, Faisalabad Campus, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| [b] Islam College of Physical Therapy, Grand Asian University, Sialkot, Pakistan
| [c] Department of Physical Therapy, Royal Institute of Medial Sciences, Multan, Pakistan
| [d] Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Dr. Muhammad Kashif, Professor, Riphah College of Rehabilitation and Allied Health Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan. E-mail: Kashif.shaffi@riphahfsd.edu.pk; ORCID: 0000-0002-8487-9256.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Street sweepers are reported to suffer from high rates of work-related musculoskeletal discomfort worldwide, especially in their wrists. OBJECTIVE:The study aimed to 1) determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and 2) specifically determine the prevalence of wrist flexor tendonitis and its associated risk factors among street sweepers. METHODS:Three hundred and eighty-five sweepers employed by the Faisalabad Waste Management Company (FWMC) participated in this cross-sectional study. A self-structured questionnaire was used to collect data: the first section provided demographic information, the second assessed musculoskeletal disorders, and the third section assessed the wrist flexor tendonitis among street sweepers. RESULTS:The mean age of the sweepers was 38.34 years. Out of 385 street sweepers, the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort was reported in 265 (68.83%). The prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort in sweepers reported during COVID-19 according to the past 12 months, the highest three prevalence rates were 46.5% in the wrists/hands, 37.9% in the shoulders and 35.1% in the lower back. The three highest prevalence rates of musculoskeletal discomfort in sweepers according to the last 7 days were 29.6% in the wrists/hands, 24.4% in the lower back and 24.2% in the shoulders. Out of total 385 participants, prevalence of wrist flexor tendonitis was reported in 103 (26.8%) sweepers. Significant association was found (p < 0.05) between wrist flexor tendonitis and gender (p < 0.003), age (p < 0.05), working experience (p < 0.003), street sweeping distance (p < 0.01), number of brooms used per month (p < 0.002) and getting tired at the end of work (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION:The prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort and wrist flexor tendonitis seen during COVID-19 is high among sweepers, with wrist/hand being the most commonly reported region for pain. This study emphasizes the importance of providing guidelines about effective precautionary healthcare measures for street sweepers.
