Abstract:
Background: Farmers perform most strenuous task and are exposed to a wide variety of
occupational risk and hazards. Musculoskeletal pain is recognized as a significant hazard of
agricultural occupation. Musculoskeletal pain of the lower back and lower extremities are
commonly affected by chronicity and disability.
Objective: To determine the prevalence and correlated factors of chronic musculoskeletal pain
among farmers
Methods: A community-based descriptive study was conducted in 2019 using a convenient
sample of 369 farmers living in Nuwaraeliya Divisional Secretariat. A pre-tested, interviewer
administered questionnaire including factors related to chronic musculoskeletal pain was used
in the study. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and chi-square test using SPSS
version 25.
Results: Majority of farmers were in 50-59 years age group (n = 133, 36%) and were males (n
= 260, 70.5%). The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among farmers was 69.9% (n = 258).
Frequently experienced sites of pain were low back (n = 130, 50.4%), hip (n = 127, 49.2%)
and knee (n = 106, 41.1%). Farmers who were in 50-59 years age group, working in 16 to 25
years, working for more than 8 hours a day and working for 7 days per week had significantly
high prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Chronic musculoskeletal pain was
significantly associated with age (p ˂0.001), gender (p = 0.001), working years (p ˂0.001),
working days for a week (p = 0.012) and working hours in a day (p ˂0.001).
Conclusions: Prevelence of chronic musculoskeletal pain was high among farmers. The study
found that the working years, working hours, working days in a week associated to certain
categories of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Findings will be useful for guiding programmes of
prevention and management of chronic musculoskeletal pain.
