Article

Research on the reliability and validity of postural workload assessment method and the relation to work-related musculoskeletal disorders of workers

  • QIN Dong-liang ,
  • JIN Xian-ning ,
  • WANG Shi-juan ,
  • WANG Jing-jing ,
  • Nazakat MAMAT ,
  • WANG Fu-jiang ,
  • WANG Ying ,
  • SHEN Zi-an ,
  • SHENG Li-gang ,
  • Mikael FORSMAN ,
  • YANG Li-yun ,
  • WANG Sheng ,
  • ZHANG Zhong-bin ,
  • HE Li-hua
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  • (1. Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Peking University School of Public Health, Beijing 100191, China;2. China Academy of Safety Science and Technology, Beijing 100029, China; 3. CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles CO., LTD., Changchun 130062, China; 4. Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE17177, Sweden)

Online published: 2018-06-18

Supported by

Supported by the National Key Technologies Research & Development Program (2016YFC0801700) and the Fundamental Research Funds for China Academy of Safety Science and Technology (2016YFC0801700)

Abstract

Objective: To form a new assessment method to evaluate postural workload comprehensively analyzing the dynamic and static postural workload for workers during their work process to analyze the reliability and validity, and to study the relation between workers’ postural workload and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Methods: In the study, 844 workers from electronic and railway vehicle manufacturing factories were selected as subjects investigated by using the China Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (CMQ) to form the postural workload comprehensive assessment method. The Cronbach’s α, cluster analysis and factor analysis were used to assess the reliability and validity of the new assessment method. Non-conditional Logistic regression was used to analyze the relation between workers’ postural workload and WMSDs. Results: Reliability of the assessment method for postural workload: internal consistency analysis results showed that Cronbach’s α was 0.934 and the results of split-half reliability indicated that Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.881 and the correlation coefficient between the first part and the second was 0.787. Validity of the assessment method for postural workload: the results of cluster analysis indicated that square Euclidean distance between dynamic and static postural workload assessment in the same part or work posture was the shortest. The results of factor analysis showed that 2 components were extracted and the cumulative percentage of variance achieved 65.604%. The postural workload score of the different occupational workers showed significant difference (P<0.05) by covariance analysis. The results of non-conditional Logistic regression indicated that alcohol intake (OR = 2.141, 95%CI 1.337-3.428) and obesity (OR = 3.408, 95%CI 1.629-7.130) were risk factors for WMSDs. The risk for WMSDs would rise as workers’ postural workload rose (OR = 1.035, 95%CI 1.022-1.048). There was significant different risk for WMSDs in the different groups of workers distinguished by work type, gender and age. Female workers exhibited a higher prevalence for WMSDs (OR = 2.626, 95%CI 1.414-4.879) and workers between 30-40 years of age (OR=1.909, 95%CI 1.237-2.946) as compared with those under 30. Conclusion: This method for comprehensively assess-ing postural workload is reliable and effective when used in assembling workers, and there is certain relation between the postural workload and WMSDs.

Cite this article

QIN Dong-liang , JIN Xian-ning , WANG Shi-juan , WANG Jing-jing , Nazakat MAMAT , WANG Fu-jiang , WANG Ying , SHEN Zi-an , SHENG Li-gang , Mikael FORSMAN , YANG Li-yun , WANG Sheng , ZHANG Zhong-bin , HE Li-hua . Research on the reliability and validity of postural workload assessment method and the relation to work-related musculoskeletal disorders of workers[J]. Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences), 2018 , 50(3) : 488 -494 . DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1671-167X.2018.03.016

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