Job-related Stress Associated with Work-related Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders (UEMDs) in Municipal Waste Collectors: the Moderation and Mediation Effect of Job Support

Overview

Journal BMC Musculoskelet Disord

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Orthopedics
Physiology

Date 2022 Aug 10

PMID 35948898

Authors

Ching-Lan Yang

Wei-Ping Huang

Wen-Yu Lin

Po-Chang Tseng

Hsien-Wen Kuo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Since the policy of "keeping trash off of the ground" in Taiwan, long-term exposure to repetitive motion in waste collection process results in high risk of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMDs). Thus, we assessed the moderation and mediation effects of job-related stress and job support on work-related UEMDs among municipal waste collectors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two cities located at northern Taiwan during 2018-2019. 626 municipal waste collectors voluntarily participated and anonymously filled out a structured questionnaire. The moderation and mediation effects of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and social support on UEMDs were analyzed by Haye's Process Macro Model.

Results: Prevalence of UEMDs in municipal waste collectors were 43.4% for neck, 56.0% for shoulder, 24.1% for upper back, and 33.1% for hand/wrist. There was high prevalence of shoulder (72.2%), neck (48%), and upper back (30%) in female workers compared to male, most significantly in shoulders. In univariate and multivariate analysis, high ERI and low job support were significantly associated with ORs of 3.11 (95% CI:1.58-6.13) for elbow, 2.79 (95% CI:1.39-5.56) for shoulder, 3.39 (95% CI:1.64-7.00) for upper back and 3.83 (95% CI:1.98-7.41) for hand/wrist. Prevalent UEMDs were positively associated with high ERI in municipal waste collectors but negatively with job support. The moderation effects of ERI and job support on UEMDs, of which the measured synergy index exceeded one, were 18.24 for shoulder, 3.32 for elbow, and 2.45 for hand/wrist, but mediation effects were not significant.

Conclusions: This study found municipal waste collectors with work-related upper extremity disorders were significantly associated with work-related psychological risk factors. Therefore, waste collection cannot only to be improved by semi-automatic and automatic processes but immediate intervention programs for the reduction of psychological risk factors is needed promptly.

Citing Articles

Magnitude and possible risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders among street cleaners and solid waste workers: a cross-sectional study.

Alie M, Abich Y, Demissie S, Weldetsadik F, Kassa T, Shiferaw K BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2023; 24(1):493.

PMID: 37322491 PMC: 10268352. DOI: 10.1186/s12891-023-06619-z.

References

Mulimani P, Hoe V, Hayes M, Idiculla J, Abas A, Karanth L . Ergonomic interventions for preventing musculoskeletal disorders in dental care practitioners. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018; 10:CD011261. PMC: 6516890. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011261.pub2. View

Siegrist J . Adverse health effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions. J Occup Health Psychol. 1996; 1(1):27-41. DOI: 10.1037//1076-8998.1.1.27. View

Violanti J, Fekedulegn D, Gu J, Allison P, Mnatsakanova A, Tinney-Zara C . Effort-reward imbalance in police work: associations with the cortisol awakening response. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2018; 91(5):513-522. PMC: 6381834. DOI: 10.1007/s00420-018-1300-0. View

Colombini D, Occhipinti E . Preventing upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders (UL-WMSDS): new approaches in job (re)design and current trends in standardization. Appl Ergon. 2006; 37(4):441-50. DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2006.04.008. View

Kuijer P, Sluiter J, Frings-Dresen M . Health and safety in waste collection: Towards evidence-based worker health surveillance. Am J Ind Med. 2010; 53(10):1040-64. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20870. View

Feyer A, Herbison P, Williamson A, de Silva I, Mandryk J, Hendrie L . The role of physical and psychological factors in occupational low back pain: a prospective cohort study. Occup Environ Med. 2000; 57(2):116-20. PMC: 1739913. DOI: 10.1136/oem.57.2.116. View

Lundberg U . Psychophysiology of work: stress, gender, endocrine response, and work-related upper extremity disorders. Am J Ind Med. 2002; 41(5):383-92. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.10038. View

Chokhandre P, Singh S, Kashyap G . Prevalence, predictors and economic burden of morbidities among waste-pickers of Mumbai, India: a cross-sectional study. J Occup Med Toxicol. 2017; 12:30. PMC: 5634861. DOI: 10.1186/s12995-017-0176-3. View

Klussmann A, Steinberg U, Liebers F, Gebhardt H, Rieger M . The Key Indicator Method for Manual Handling Operations (KIM-MHO) - evaluation of a new method for the assessment of working conditions within a cross-sectional study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2010; 11:272. PMC: 3003632. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2474-11-272. View

10.

Ohlsson K, Attewell R, Palsson B, Karlsson B, Balogh I, Johnsson B . Repetitive industrial work and neck and upper limb disorders in females. Am J Ind Med. 1995; 27(5):731-47. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.4700270508. View

11.

Ota A, Mase J, Howteerakul N, Rajatanun T, Suwannapong N, Yatsuya H . The effort-reward imbalance work-stress model and daytime salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) among Japanese women. Sci Rep. 2014; 4:6402. PMC: 4165940. DOI: 10.1038/srep06402. View

12.

Bongers P, Kremer A, ter Laak J . Are psychosocial factors, risk factors for symptoms and signs of the shoulder, elbow, or hand/wrist?: A review of the epidemiological literature. Am J Ind Med. 2002; 41(5):315-42. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.10050. View

13.

Baldwin M, Butler R . Upper extremity disorders in the workplace: costs and outcomes beyond the first return to work. J Occup Rehabil. 2006; 16(3):303-23. DOI: 10.1007/s10926-006-9043-2. View

14.

Schibye B, Sogaard K, Martinsen D, Klausen K . Mechanical load on the low back and shoulders during pushing and pulling of two-wheeled waste containers compared with lifting and carrying of bags and bins. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2001; 16(7):549-59. DOI: 10.1016/s0268-0033(01)00039-0. View

15.

Ziaei M, Choobineh A, Abdoli-Eramaki M, Ghaem H . Individual, physical, and organizational risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among municipality solid waste collectors in Shiraz, Iran. Ind Health. 2018; 56(4):308-319. PMC: 6066438. DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.2018-0011. View

16.

Lotter O, Lieb T, Breul V, Molsner J . Is Repetitive Workload a Risk Factor for Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders in Surgical Device Mechanics? A Cross-Sectional Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020; 17(4). PMC: 7068592. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17041383. View

17.

Cheng Y, Luh W, Guo Y . Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Job Content Questionnaire in Taiwanese workers. Int J Behav Med. 2003; 10(1):15-30. DOI: 10.1207/s15327558ijbm1001_02. View

18.

Bernal D, Campos-Serna J, Tobias A, Vargas-Prada S, Benavides F, Serra C . Work-related psychosocial risk factors and musculoskeletal disorders in hospital nurses and nursing aides: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Nurs Stud. 2014; 52(2):635-48. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.11.003. View

19.

Dorevitch S, Marder D . Occupational hazards of municipal solid waste workers. Occup Med. 2000; 16(1):125-33. View

20.

Chang J, Wu J, Liu C, Hsu D . Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic assessments of cleaners. Am J Ind Med. 2012; 55(7):593-604. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22064. View