Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among beach workers

To evaluate the prevalence of repetitive strain injuries (RSIs)/work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and their potential demographic, economic and occupational determinants among urban beach workers in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, between 2023 and 2024.

We performed a cross-sectional epidemiological study among 579 urban beach workers in Salvador between November 2023 and March 2024. Following ethical approval and informed consent, structured questionnaires were administered to obtain data on sociodemographic, occupational and work environment characteristics. The outcome, self-reported cases of RSI/WMSDs in the previous 12 months was evaluated using the question "in the last 12 months, have you been diagnosed with RSI/WMSDs?" (yes/no). Prevalence and prevalence ratios were calculated using Poisson regression with robust variance, and analyses were stratified by sex.

The 12-months prevalence of RSI/WMSD was 18.1%. Among participants, 59.4% were male, 25% were aged ≤ 29 years and 11.4% were aged ≥60 years. A total of 92.9% identified as Black or Brown. Informality was reported by 72.3% of workers, 70.2% worked ≥9 h/day and 88% had never received professional training. Women were 1.67 (95% CI: 1.11-2.52) times more likely to report RSI/WMSD compared to men. Working ≥13 h/day increased likelihood of RSI/WMSD by 2.27 (95% CI: 1.12-4.59) times compared with working ≤ 8 h/day. Having experienced at least one work-related accident (WA) in the past year increased the probability of an RSI/WMSD diagnosis by 64% (95% CI: 1.09-2.49).

The overall prevalence of RSI/WMSDs was 18.1%. Female sex, extended working hours and recent WA were associated with the outcome. Although no statistically significant associations were found with broader work conditions, the findings highlighted a precarious occupational context characterized by informality, physical overload, insufficient infrastructure and lack of professional training.