PREVALENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AMONG MALE MYANMAR WORKERS IN KLANG VALLEY, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Background Due to the rapid globalization, labor migration, which refers to the act of traveling to another country for employment opportunities has incurred. Most migrant workers tend to work in laborious job sectors, issues related to their occupational health have been raised by various NGOs, including United Nations Human Rights Councils. In some places, migrant workers tend to work, without valid documentation that might be vital to healthcare access. However, the current understanding of the health status of migrant workers in their work environments is limited. Objective This study seeks to empirically examine the prevalence and severity of work-induced musculoskeletal disorders among Myanmar migrant’s workers in Malaysia. Materials and method A cross sectional study with random sampling method in 4 weekly congregation places for Myanmar migrant workers in Klang Valley. Results The prevalence of MSDs among Myanmar migrant workers was 94.5%, with low back pain emerging as the highest with the prevalence of 51%. The second highest musculoskeletal disorder was neck conditions with the prevalence of 18%. Up to 73.8% of the respondents reported to have at least 2 MSD conditions. Conclusion Overall, the findings of a high prevalence of MSDs especially lower back pain would allow NGOs and government policy-makers to better capture the occupational health condition of migrant workers and to implement appropriate strategies to minimize work-induced MSDs.