Dor musculoesquelética em motoristas e cobradores de ônibus da região metropolitana de belo horizonte, brasil

Abstract

Musculoskeletal pain among profes sionals in the transport sector has been linked to working conditions. The scope of this study was to assess the prevalence of cervical musculoskeletal pain and its relation to pain in other areas (arms, hands and shoulders). The association between neck pain, related to pain in other areas or oth erwise, was checked against occupational factors. A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study was conducted with 799 bus drivers and 708 fare collectors of the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The outcome was characterized according to the positive answer to the question about musculoskeletal pain in the anatomical areas studied. The prevalence of neck pain in the sample was highest at 16.3%, followed by pain in the shoulders 15.4%, arms 13.3% and hands 6.3%. The factors associated with musculoskeletal pain in the sample were being female, complaints of disability, perception of threat to safety, vibra tion, excessive or unbearable noise and sitting in an uncomfortable posture. The results provide clues to transformation of the workplace, thereby contributing to the enhancement of occupational health.