Bosede Abidemi Tella

Prevalence and impacts of low back pain among peasant farmers in South-West Nigeria

ObjectivesA relationship between low back pain (LBP) and poor postures has been previously established with a high prevalence observed in many occupations. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of LBP, associated risk factors and impacts on farmers in South-West Nigeria.Materials and MethodsSix hundred and four farmers completed a 36-item closed-ended questionnaire which was translated to Yoruba language with content validity and back translation done afterwards. The questionnaire sought information on demographic data, 12-month prevalence, severity, history, causes and management of LBP, and its impacts on farm activities and the activities of daily living. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17. Data was summarized using descriptive statistics of mean, range, frequency, standard deviation, percentage. Chi2 and Mann-Whitney-U test were used to find association between variables. The level of significance was set at α = 0.05.ResultsThe 12-month prevalence of LBP among the respondents was 74.4%. Low back pain was described as moderate in 53.4%. Prolonged bending (51.3%) was the most related risk factor. A considerable proportion (65.9%) of the respondents were unable to continue some of the previously enjoyed activities. Males had significantly higher (p ≪ 0.05) prevalence, recurrence and duration of LBP than the females.ConclusionThere is a high prevalence of LBP among farmers in South-West Nigeria. Age, sex and years of involvement in farming have a significant influence on the prevalence of LBP.

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among hairdressers

OBJECTIVES This study has investigated the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), the most commonly affected body parts, the risk factors of WMSDs and the coping strategies adopted by hairdressers. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study design was a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. Two hundred and ninety-nine hairdressers (242 females and 57 males) from salons in Surulere and Mushin Local Government Areas of Lagos State completed a 27-item questionnaire. They were selected using a non-probability consecutive sampling technique. The inferential analysis was conducted using the Chi2 test. The level of significance stood at p < 0.05. RESULTS The 12-month prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders stood at 75.6%. Two hundred and twenty-one (91.3%) participants reported gradual onset of musculoskeletal disorders. One hundred and sixteen (47.9%) participants had the onset of the WMSDs at the age range of 26-35 years. The most commonly affected body parts included the low back (76.3%), shoulder (62.5%) and neck (46.3%). Some of the major job risk factors of the WMSDs that were identified included: working in the same position for long periods and attending to a large number of customers in 1 day. Taking sufficient rest breaks by participants was one of the coping strategies adopted by the participants. The mean number of years of working experience was 7.85±0.4 years. One hundred and twenty-four (41.5%) participants had worked for 1-5 years. The Chi2 analysis showed that the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders were significantly associated with the age of a participant (Chi2 = 78.78, p = 0.001), years of working experience (Chi2 = 78.03, p = 0.001) and hours spent working in a standing position (Chi2 = 8.77, p = 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS The age of hairdressers, their years of working and the long hours they spent working in a standing position may be significant factors that contribute to the high prevalence of the WMSDs among them. The most commonly affected body parts included the low back, shoulders and neck.