Prevalence and Factors Associated with Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Preschool Educators

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which include inflammatory and degenerative disorders that affect the lower back, neck, and upper and lower limbs, are among the leading causes of occupational injuries. Preschool services are essential in modern societies since they have a strategic role, in concert with families, in sustaining children’s whole development (e.g., emotional, social, physical, and cognitive). In this context preschool teachers, who are professionals, mostly women are properly trained to fulfill these aims and carry out a job primarily of a relational nature, consisting of nurturing and teaching children under the age of six years, as well as constantly interacting with their parents.
However, an under-considered aspect of the preschool teaching profession is that the job requires the mobilization not only of emotional but also of physical resources. Teachers are constantly required to lift, bend, or carry children as well as sit on small furniture or on the floor to take care of, play with, and interact with children. As the facilities are usually designed to be height-appropriate for children, preschool teachers are bound to adopt awkward body postures to perform their work tasks. Research has demonstrated how these kinds of physical demands negatively impact preschool teachers’ musculoskeletal systems. According to research, the incidence rate of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among such teachers is quite high, varying from 39% to 95%. MSDs involve various body regions, particularly the back, neck, shoulders, and knees.
There is no research done on the safety and ergonomical aspect of preschool teachers whereas there has been plenty of literature that tells what to do when it comes to the safety of preschool teachers but nothing has been implemented. Therefore, based on this gap analysis this research study has been formulated. To address this gap, 40 preschools were examined and in-depth interviews with 60 educators using a validated self-constructed questionnaire and an adapted safety checklist. Furthermore, observational methods were employed to capture real-time behaviours and interactions in the studied environment.
The objectives of this research were to analyze the postures adopted by teachers while doing daily activities in schools using the Owako Working Posture Analysing System [OWAS] and to analyze the risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Injuries among preschool teachers using Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaires [CMDQ]. This study also aims to identify hazards and it reveals that Physical hazards were found to be the most prevalent, emphasizing the urgent need for safety measures.
Psycho-social hazards closely followed, indicating the importance of addressing emotional and social well-being. Safety hazards underscored the need for accident prevention, while ergonomic hazards suggested a necessity for improved design considerations.
Chemical hazards, though less common, warrant careful management for a secure environment, and biological hazards, while the least prevalent, still require attention to hygiene standards. This study contributes to creating safer and more efficient preschool environments, benefiting educational quality and the well-being and betterment of preschool teachers.