Assessment of disability and quality of life among ceramic industry workers

Ceramic industry workers are subjected to several factors, such as high temperature, dust and work in standing position, which in greater or lesser degree might cause discomfort and work-related disorders.

To investigate the quality of life and functional capacity of ceramic industry workers.

The present study had a quantitative cross-sectional design. A total of 189 ceramic industry workers were analyzed. Muscle strength was assessed by means of dynamometry, and the following questionnaires were applied: WHOQOL-Bref for quality of life; Nordic Questionnaire of Musculoskeletal Symptoms, pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODQ 2.0) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH).

Overall, 115 (60.8%) participants described their quality of life as average. The lumbar spine was the body segment most often mentioned as the location of pain 68 (36.0%) participants reported occurrence of pain in the past 12 months and 38 (20.1%) in the past 7 days. A total of 107 (56.6%) participants exhibited upper limb muscle weakness.

The results evidenced a higher prevalence of pain compared to other professional categories. Muscle weakness, mainly affecting the upper limbs, and self-perceived quality of life as predominantly average show that the state of health of a part of the sample was partially impaired, and while it was not associated with disability, it was perceived as having impact in their personal and professional lives.