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Prevalence of musculoskeletal system problems in children working in Turkey's automotive industry
1Health Sciences of Faculty -Department of Child Health and Diseases Nursing, Harran University, Sanlıurfa, Turkey.
Insights
Children in Şanlıurfa's automotive industry experience significant musculoskeletal problems, particularly in the waist, feet, and hands. These issues are linked to working posture and long hours, highlighting the need for intervention.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Pediatric Musculoskeletal Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Child labor in the automotive industry presents unique occupational health risks.
- Şanlıurfa has the highest child population percentage in Turkey (44.9%), indicating a vulnerable demographic.
- Understanding musculoskeletal issues in working children is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal system problems among children working in the automotive industry.
- To identify factors associated with these musculoskeletal issues in working children.
- To provide data for targeted health and safety interventions in Şanlıurfa.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted.
- 256 children aged 7-17 years working in automotive industry sites were surveyed.
- Data collection occurred between April and September 2021.
Main Results:
- A majority of working children (55.9%) reported musculoskeletal symptoms lasting over a year.
- The most affected body areas were the waist, feet, and hands.
- Symptoms were associated with prolonged standing, working posture, daily work hours, and sleep duration.
Conclusions:
- Public health nurses play a vital role in ensuring health services for working children, including vaccinations and regular check-ups.
- Interventions should focus on enforcing legal working hours, fair wages, health insurance, and appropriate apprenticeship training.
- Preventing children from working before the legal age for apprenticeship is essential.
Objective:
This epidemiology study was conducted to determine the musculoskeletal system problems of children working in the automotive industry and related factors affecting them in the province of Şanlıurfa, the Turkish province where the child population is the highest at 44.9%.
Design And Methods:
A cross-sectional descriptive type study of 256 children aged 7-17 years working in Şanlıurfa Evren Auto Industry Site and Birecik Fırat Auto Industry Site was carried out between April and September 2021.
Results:
The majority (55.9%) of the children spent most of their time afoot while working and had musculoskeletal symptoms, with a duration of more than one year. The body areas with the most symptoms were the waist, feet, and hands, respectively. These symptoms had not occurred before a child started working and were affected by the posture they worked in, and their daily working and sleep hours.
Conclusion:
Public health nurses are in a position to ensure that tetanus vaccination of working children, employment examinations, routine health checks, and necessary personal protective equipment are available. They can also work to ensure that children work for legal periods, get paid their wages, have health insurance, receive apprenticeship training, and only start working when they reach the age of being an apprentice or apprentice candidate.
