Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jun 11;8(6):e70907.
doi: 10.1002/hsr2.70907. eCollection 2025 Jun.

The Prevalence and Work-Related Risk Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Miners at Kalumbila Mine, Kalumbila District Zambia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Chibuye Kunda  1   2 , Joseph Lupenga  3 , Chisala D Meki  2
Affiliations

The Prevalence and Work-Related Risk Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Miners at Kalumbila Mine, Kalumbila District Zambia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Chibuye Kunda et al. Health Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Mining is a hazardous occupation with high injury rates and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. However, few studies have reported on the prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among mineworkers in Zambia.

Aim: The study examined risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among mineworkers at Kalumbila mine in Zambia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken, and data were collected using a self-administered Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire. A total of 357 participants were selected using a systematic random sampling method from among the male and female mine workers at the Kalumbila mine. The study used Stata/SE version 17 for univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses. A p value of < 0.05 indicated there was a statistically significant result.

Results: A total of 357 mine workers were recruited. The study revealed 275 (77%) of the participants reporting pain or discomfort in at least one body location. The highest level of discomfort or pain was reported in the lower back 184 (51.5%), upper back 90 (25.2%) and, neck 89 (24.9%). In the multivariable analysis, those with tertiary education (AOR 4.27, 95% CI: 1.78-10.24, p = 0.001), those who took more than two breaks in a typical working day were 9.51 times more likely to experience WRMSD compared to those who did not take any breaks while working (AOR 9.51, 95% CI: 1.15-79.96, p = 0.04). and operating machinery causing whole-body vibration (AOR 3.17 CI 95%: 1.59-6.34, p = 0.001) were associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Conclusion: Self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders were common among mine workers, underscoring the need to invest in worker safety through ergonomic programs and workers' training on safety measures.

Keywords: Kalumbila mine; ergonomics; mine workers; mining industry; work‐related musculoskeletal disorders.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of musculoskeletal pain prevalence between this study and global meta‐analysis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Liu S., Wang B., Fan S., Wang Y., Zhan Y., and Ye D., “Global Burden of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Attributable Factors in 204 Countries and Territories: A Secondary Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study,” BMJ Open 12 (2022): 62183, 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062183. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Odebiyi D. O., Okafor U. A. C., Odebiyi D. O., and Okafor U. A. C., “Musculoskeletal Disorders, Workplace Ergonomics and Injury Prevention,” in Ergonomics—New Insights (IntechOpen, 2023), 10.5772/INTECHOPEN.106031. - DOI
    1. Greggi C., Visconti V. V., Albanese M., et al., “Work‐Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis,” Journal of Clinical Medicine 13, no. 13 (2024): 3964, 10.3390/JCM13133964/S1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bonfiglioli R., Caraballo‐Arias Y., and Salmen‐Navarro A., “Epidemiology of Work‐Related Musculoskeletal Disorders,” Current Opinion in Epidemiology and Public Health 1, no. 1 (2022): 18–24, 10.1097/PXH.0000000000000003. - DOI
    1. Rabiei H., Malakoutikhah M., Vaziri M. H., and Salehi Sahlabadi A., “The Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Miners Around the World: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis,” Iranian Journal of Public Health 50, no. 4 (2021): 676, 10.18502/IJPH.V50I4.5992. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources