Cross-sectional study of musculoskeletal symptoms in art painters of the city of Hermosillo, Sonora

Abstract

Art painters is a growing professional activity in Northern México, due to multiple aspects. Many of this art workers belong to the informal labor sector and suffer from musculoskeletal symptoms (MS). Since they have an informal activity, they are not supported by any occupational health and safety services (Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social). There is a lack of information related to MS in these workers. The present study was attempted with the following objective: To perform a cross-sectional study within five weeks to know the prevalence of MS’s in the professional work activity of 39 art painters. Following informed consent participants were provided with the adapted Standardized Nordic Questionnaire for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms (ASNQ) through the days of the week and the weeks. A MS Prevalence Index (MSPI) was calculated for the totality of gathered data. Statistical analysis was carried out using the software suite IBM SPSS (v24, SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA). Mean and standard deviation of MDPI was calculated for days and weeks in the total period of analysis. The influence of days and weeks on the overall MSPI mean was analyzed using an ANOVA test with a significance level of 0.05 and a Duncan’s multiple range. The overall ANOVA results showed that the mean of MSPI was different between weeks. Duncan test was performed and MSPI mean was different for weeks 1,2,3,4,5. Also, it was performed an ANOVA test for MSPI mean through the days, which told us, the mean of MSPI was different between the days. Duncan test was performed and MSPI mean is different for days 1,2,3,4,5. Prior work has documented the musculoskeletal symptoms among plastic artists. In this study we evaluate the MS prevalence for five continuous weeks, and through the days of a week. We found that there was a strong association between the means of MSPI experienced by art workers within the passage of the days and within the weeks. The findings with regards to MS through the days of the week and between the weeks, revealed that the MD index mean increases between the days and the weeks.