Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Office Workers in Higher Education Institutions: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) currently pose a challenge to public health and elicit considerable financial, physical and social problems for workers. There is a need to attain a deeper understanding of this predicament among office workers, in order to tackle it successfully. This study sought to investigate the prevalence of WMSDs among office workers in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as well as discover its associations with their personal/work details and reported risk factors.METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was executed among 217 office workers in different HEIs, who filled self-report questionnaires on WMSDs. Data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics.RESULTS: The overall prevalence rate of WMSDs was 71.9% among these staff. The lower back, wrists/hands and shoulders were the most reported body regions for these disorders. WMSD prevalence had significant associations with sex (p = 0.004), age (p= 0.028), working hours (p = 0.003) and work experience (p =0.014). There were significant positive relationships (p < 0.05) between WMSD prevalence and these risk factors: awkward posture, sustained body position, improper bending, workplace stress, inappropriate furniture and inadequate rest breaks.CONCLUSION: Most of the study participants were affected with WMSDs, which were primarily reported in the back and upper extremities. Office workers who were older, female, more experienced and work for longer hours, displayed higher risks for these disorders and should be given special attention. Several factors reported by these HEI staff were revealed to significantly influence WMSD prevalence, emphasizing the need for their effective detection and curtailment

Physical Activity Level and Factors Affecting Exercise Participation among Nigerian Adults with and Without Diabetes

Background: Diabetes presents a multifaceted challenge to health systems in Nigeria and beyond. Physical activity is a cornerstone of diabetes management but is often underutilised. Despite the positive effects of physical activity on different dimensions of health to patients with diabetes, most fail to maintain long-term adherence to physical activity programmes. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the physical activity level and factors affecting exercise participation among patients with and without diabetes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 400 participants recruited by convenience sampling. International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Exercise Benefit and Barrier Scale (EBBS) questionnaires were used to measure physical activity and perceived benefits and barriers to exercise, respectively. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of percentages and frequency, mean and standard deviation, and independent t-test. The level of significance was set at p less than 0.05. Results: The majority of the patients with diabetes (71%) had low physical activity levels while 52% of the nondiabetic group were moderately active. There was a significant difference between physical activity levels of patients with diabetes and the nondiabetic group (p less than 0.05). Physical exertion was reported by both patients with and without diabetes as the greatest barrier to exercise participation. Conclusion: Patients with diabetes in Nigeria have a low level of physical activity and are also faced with certain barriers which limit their participation in exercise programmes. Exercise barrier identification and public awareness on the health benefits of exercise and physical activity in the prevention and management of diabetes should thus be encouraged

Foot Anthropometric Measurement of Primary School Children With and Without Flatfoot: A Comparative Study

Objective: The study determined the prevalence of flatfoot and also compared the foot anthropometric variables of both flatfooted and non-flatfooted primary school Children. Subject and Method: The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional research design and involved 1071(526 males and 545 females) public school pupils above six years. Foot anthropometry variables were obtained using measuring tape (foot length, ball girth, foot instep and heel circumference) and vernier caliper (forefoot width, mid-foot width and heel width). Flatfoot was diagnosed using Staheli Plantar Index, where values >1.15 indicates flatfoot. The prevalence of flatfoot was obtained using Chi-Square analysis, ANOVA was used to compare body anthropometry (weight, height and body mass index) with side of flatfoot (unilateral, bilateral and no flatfoot), while independent t-test was used to compare the foot anthropometric variables of children with flatfoot and those without flatfoot. Result: The prevalence of flatfoot was 14.75%. 64.3% of males and 71.6% of females have unilateral flatfoot while 30% of males and 41% of females have bilateral flatfoot. There was a significant association between higher prevalence of flatfoot and age with 6 and 7 year old group showing the highest prevalence. There was a significant difference in foot length, forefoot width, heel width and heel Circumference on the right foot and significant difference in foot length and heel Circumference on the left foot between flatfoot and non-flatfoot children. Conclusion: Footwear manufacturers should consider anthropometric data of different foot types while manufacturing foot wears so as to minimizing foot pain, injuries and deformities

Community-based non-pharmacological interventions for improving pain, disability and quality of life in pregnant women with musculoskeletal conditions: protocol for a systematic review with meta-analyses

Introduction Twenty five per cent of pregnant women with musculoskeletal pain have disabling symptoms that negatively influence quality of life. Studies have reported varying effects of non-pharmacological interventions including exercise, manipulation and pelvic belts for pregnant women with musculoskeletal problems. The overall effectiveness and acceptability of these interventions is uncertain due to lack of synthesised evidence. This protocol is for the first systematic review of community-based non-pharmacological interventions for improving pain, disability and quality of life in pregnant women with musculoskeletal conditions from studies published until August 2020.Methods and analysis A detailed search of PubMed, CINAHL, CENTRAL, Global Index Medicus, African Index Medicus, African Journal Online, Western Pacific Region Index Medicus, Latin American and Caribbean Centre on Health Science Information, Index Medicus for South-East Asia Region, IRIS (WHO digital publications), British Library for Development Studies and Google Scholar. Additional studies will be located from the reference list of identified studies and relevant systematic reviews. The databases will be searched from inception to August 2020. Appraisal of study quality will be performed with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data will be synthesised using a mixed-studies synthesis design—the convergent synthesis. The description of interventions in all study designs will be summarised narratively. Meta-analyses will be used to statistically summarise the effectiveness of interventions in randomised controlled trials and the factors that influence these. Other quantitative studies will be summarised narratively to answer the objectives. Thematic synthesis will be used to summarise results of qualitative studies. The outcomes of interest include pain, disability and quality of life. This paper is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols 2015 guidelines.Ethics and dissemination Ethical clearance is not required. Findings will be presented at conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.PROSPERO registration number CRD42020189535