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 Jul 19;15(1):26260.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-10775-8.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and associated factors among workers in Kombolcha Textile Industry, Northeast Ethiopia

Atalay Tadele Yirdaw  1 , Beletu Kinfe  2 , Azanaw Asega Belay  2 , Anmut Endalkachew Bezie  2 , Tarikuwa Natnael  3
Affiliations

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and associated factors among workers in Kombolcha Textile Industry, Northeast Ethiopia

Atalay Tadele Yirdaw et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

One of the most significant occupational health issues in the textile industry is WMSDs. Nonetheless, there are significant data gaps in the field concerning workers in the textile industry, particularly in developing nations like Ethiopia. Closing this gap was the aim of this study. A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2023 to determine the prevalence of WMSDs and related factors among Kombolcha textile industry workers. The data were gathered through the use of physical measurements and pretested, standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaires. EPI Info version 7 and Stata version 14.0 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Potential risk factors for WMSDs were identified through the use of bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR), with 95% confidence intervals and a P < 0.05 were used to assess the level of significance. Out of the 385 individuals, 163 (42.3%) were females, with a mean age of 29 ± 7.37 years. 237 (61.56%) of the 385 participants (95%CI: 56-66) had WMSDs in the past 12 months. The most common types of WMSDs were neck (31.4%), shoulder (25.7%), elbow (14.2%), hand/wrist (11.4%) and upper back (29.6%). Age (AOR: 4, 95% CI: 15-10.4), job satisfaction (AOR: 1.5, 95% Cl: 2.25-4.4), work shift (AOR: 2, 95% CI: 1.18-3.6), and work experience (AOR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.35-3.5) were all strongly correlated with WMSDs. Strategies to improve training for preventing WMSDs and alter the contributing factors should be impacted by these findings. We encourage the public, businesses, and national governments to fully address WMSDs in order to lower worker mortality and increase productivity.

Keywords: Ethiopia; Kombolcha town; Musculoskeletal disorders; Textile industry workers.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: The ethical approval letter was issued by the Institutional Ethical Review Committee of Wollo University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences with reference number CMHS/655/20/16. The factory and other relevant organizations in the research area received a letter of support. The research was carried out in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki’s ethical guidelines. Prior to data collection, all participants were assured that their information would only be used for scientific research and were made aware of the study’s purpose. Prior to any data collection, each employee gave written informed consent. Participants were informed that their involvement would be completely voluntary and that they could withdraw at any time for any reason. Additionally, they were free to ask any questions they had regarding the study. By avoiding potential identifiers, such as study participants’ names, and using only identification numbers as a guide, confidentiality was preserved. During the data collection period, respondents who reported experiencing severe musculoskeletal disorders were encouraged to seek medical assistance.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic representation of sampling procedure of study participants in Kombolcha textile industry, Ethiopia, 2023.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Prevalence of WMSDs distribution in body parts among workers kombolcha textile industry, Northeast, Ethiopia, 2023.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Sirajudeen, M. S., Alaidarous, M., Waly, M. & Alqahtani, M. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among faculty members of college of applied medical sciences, Majmaah university, Saudi arabia: A cross-sectional study. Int. J. Health Sci.12 (4), 18 (2018). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Abledu, J. & Abledu, G. Multiple logistic regression analysis of predictors of musculoskeletal disorders and disability among bank workers in Kumasi. Ghana. J. Ergon.2 (111), 2 (2012).
    1. Bevan, S.J.B.P. Economic impact of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) on work in Europe. Rheumatol. RC. 29 (3), 356–373 (2015). - PubMed
    1. Gebretsadik, A., Melaku, N. & Haji, Y. Community acceptance and utilization of maternal and community-based neonatal care services provided by health extension workers in rural Sidama zone: barriers and enablers: a qualitative study. Pediatr. Health Med. Ther.11, 203 (2020). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Jahrami, H. et al. The examination of sleep quality for frontline healthcare workers during the outbreak of COVID-19. Sleep. Breath.25 (1), 503–511 (2021). - PMC - PubMed