TITLE:
Risk Factors and Economic Impact of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Employees of a Port Operations Company in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire in 2020
AUTHORS:
Aimé Francois Tchicaya, Irel Narcisse Arnaud Aka, Any Adjoua Kra, Sangah Barthélémy Wognin, Jean Sylvain Bonny
KEYWORDS:
MSDs, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Economic Impact, Ivory Coast
JOURNAL NAME:
Occupational Diseases and Environmental Medicine,
Vol.13 No.2,
May
6,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders are a group of multifactorial disorders with occupational components, whose high prevalence and occupational and economic impact make them a public health problem. Materials and methods: In order to study musculoskeletal disorders in workers at a port company in 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional study from 2 November 2020 to 2 February 2021. Data were collected using the INRS 2000 MSD questionnaires, the SALTSA method and the Quick Exposer Check. The economic costs of MSDs were assessed and the data was processed using Epi info7 and Excel 2013 software. Results: The sample of 125 out of a workforce of 206 workers comprised employees with an average age of 42.83 ± 7.5. The average job tenure was 12 years ± 4 years, with an extreme of 22 years and 62 years. Administrative staff, finance officers and firefighters accounted for 51.2% of the workforce. The prevalence of MSDs was 91.2%. Low back pain accounted for 66.6% of MSDs; 32% of workers handled moderately heavy to very heavy loads. Prolonged sitting posture and screen work were the main biomechanical risk factors. The cumulative number of days not worked over the two years was 1,181. The overall cost of MSDs was estimated at €329,773.25, or 92.67% of the total cost of MSDs. The cost of productivity was €269,080.17, or 81.59% of the overall cost of MSDs. Conclusion: The prevalence of MSDs and their economic cost require the implementation of an effective prevention programme.