2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Online Program

332739
Gender disparities in musculoskeletal symptoms and tasks performed among custodians


Monday, November 2, 2015

Manik Ahuja, Ph.D., Center for Public Health and Health Policy, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Jennifer Garza, ScD, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
Jennifer Cavallari, ScD, CIH, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Background and Objectives:   Custodians  experience high rates of musculoskeletal symptoms.  A variety of labor intensive tasks that are strenuous and long in duration are required as part of custodial work that may affect musculoskeletal symptoms. Men and women may be performing different tasks, which may contribute to different rates of musculoskeletal symptoms by gender.   The objective of this study was to investigate differences by gender in reported symptoms and tasks.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used to assess musculoskeletal symptoms (back pain, upper extremity symptoms, lower extremity symptoms) and tasks performed among male and female custodians recruited from three universities and one university-affiliated hospital; all state and contract workers employed at these agencies were eligible to participate. Chi-squared tests were used to investigate differences in symptoms and tasks by gender.

Results:  A higher percentage of women reported back pain (34%) than men (24%) (p=.000), upper extremity pain (49%) than men (34%) (p=.000), and lower extremity pain (42%) than men (29%) (p=.000).  Women spent significantly more time completing tasks such as bathroom cleaning, collecting trash, and dusting than men. 

Conclusions: While musculoskeletal symptoms were prevalent for all custodians, they were considerably higher for women. The tasks completed by women may contribute to their increased prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms.

Learning Objectives: Participants should be able to

1) Explain differences in reported musculoskeletal symptoms by gender in the custodial workforce.

2) Identify risk factors associated with musculoskeletal symptoms among custodians

Learning Areas:

Environmental health sciences
Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Identify risk factors associated with musculoskeletal symptoms among custodians Explain differences in reported musculoskeletal symptoms by gender in the custodial workforce

Keyword(s): Gender, Occupational Health and Safety

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am currently a Ph.D candidate in Public Health at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Among my scientific interests has been the reduction of health disparities in the workplace, in particular social determinants such as race and gender.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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