Author(s)

H.D. Mossoro-Kpinde^1,2*, Perrin Ariel Kongbanda³, Augustin Balekouzou⁴, Henri Saint Calvaire Diemer², Julienne Anaïs Paola Demba Yabada³, Chloé Naïgha Liliane Dengue Nzobe³, Gerard Grésenguet², Mor Ndiaye⁵

¹Direction de la Médecine du Travail, Ministère du Travail de l’Emploi de la Protection Sociale et de la Formation Professionnelle, Bangui, Central African Republic.
²Département de Santé Publique, Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic.
³Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic.
⁴Comité National de Lutte contre le SIDA, Bangui, Central African Republic.
⁵Service de Médecine du Travail et de Médecine Légale, Faculté de Médecine, de Pharmacie et d’Odontologie, Université Cheick Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a set of peri-articular conditions that result mainly in pain and functional discomfort. They represent a major occupational health problem in all areas of activity. The objective of this work was to determine the prevalence of MSDs among street vendors in the city of Bangui in the Central African Republic (CAR). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 01 to October 31, 2021 in Bangui, the capital of CAR. The study population consisted of street vendors which were included at the entrance of 4 large markets of Bangui after giving informed consent. The sample size, calculated according to the Schwartz formula, was 384. Sociodemographic data (age, gender, level of education, marital status), professional data (the duration of sale in hours, the distance traveled per day); and health data (the health problems suffered by itinerant sellers and the means of dealing with them) were collected using a pre-established self-questionnaire. This collected data was processed using Microsoft Excel 2013 and Epi-Info version 7 software. Results: Among 384 street vendors included, women represented a quarter (24.9%). The average age was 27 years; the 25-34 age group was the most represented (50%). About two-thirds (64.8%) sold for at least 12 hours and traveled more than 10 km (69.3%) per day. The main health problems reported by street vendors were musculoskeletal disorders (95.8%). Their locations concerned the upper limbs shoulder 65.36% (251), elbow 24.22% (93). Non-ergonomic postures that stress the back and joints all day long, causing pain are risk factors for MSDs. These MSDs were treated by self-medication with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (22.0%), mainly sold on the street. Conclusion: MSDs dominated the health problems of street vendors. These problems raise the need for recognition and support for these workers to optimize their performance while preserving their health through awareness and good management of MSDs whose chronicity generates a disability.

Street Vendors, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Ergonomy, Self-Medication, Central African Republic

Mossoro-Kpinde, H. , Kongbanda, P. , Balekouzou, A. , Diemer, H. , Yabada, J. , Nzobe, C. , Grésenguet, G. and Ndiaye, M. (2023) High Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Self-Medication among Street Vendors in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR). Occupational Diseases and Environmental Medicine, 11, 199-212. doi: 10.4236/odem.2023.114016.