ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to examine the socio-demography, working conditions, and consequential musculoskeletal ailments of pineapple farmers in northeast India. A total of 152 pineapple farmers (92 males and 60 females) participated in the study. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured schedule and a standard Nordic questionnaire through personal interviews followed by direct observation. Chi-square (χ²) analysis and multiple logistic regression were conducted using SPSS software 16.0 to explore the association of various independent factors and their influences on the musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) scores. The study revealed that a majority (>85%) of the pineapple farmers in northeast India had low to medium annual income, with more than 95% of the farmers belonging to small and marginal categories. Moreover, MSS were highly prevalent among the farmers (79.61%), and the low-back (76.32%) was the most affected body part. The results of the Chi-square (χ²) analysis highlighted that age, education level, and farming experience were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the prevalence of overall MSS among the pineapple farmers. Among the factors, only age and gender significantly influenced the risk of complaints for the farmers’ neck (OR = 6.62, 95% CI: 1.29–34.02, p ≤ 0.05) and low back (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.00–6.47, p ≤ 0.05). This study’s findings demonstrated the need for the urgent exploration of sustainable and innovative interventions to reduce the occurrence of MSS and improve the working conditions of the pineapple farmers in northeast India.

摘要

本研究旨在调查印度东北部菠萝种植者的社会人口学、工作条件和随之而来的肌肉骨骼疾病。共有 152 名菠萝种植者（92 名男性和 60 名女性）参与了这项研究。通过个人访谈和直接观察，使用预先测试的结构化时间表和标准北欧问卷收集数据。卡方 (χ ²) 使用SPSS软件16.0进行分析和多元逻辑回归，探讨各种独立因素的关联性及其对肌肉骨骼症状（MSS）评分的影响。研究显示，印度东北部大多数（>85%）菠萝种植者的年收入为中低水平，超过 95% 的种植者属于小规模和边缘群体。此外，MSS在农民中高发（79.61%），腰背（76.32%）是受影响最大的身体部位。卡方 (χ ² ) 分析的结果表明，年龄、教育水平和农业经验显着相关 ( p< 0.05）与菠萝种植者中总体 MSS 的患病率有关。在这些因素中，只有年龄和性别显着影响农民颈部（OR  =  6.62, 95% CI: 1.29-34.02, p ≤ 0.05）和腰背（OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.00- 6.47，p ≤ 0.05）。这项研究的结果表明，迫切需要探索可持续和创新的干预措施，以减少 MSS 的发生并改善印度东北部菠萝种植者的工作条件。