The risk factors for the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers: a review

Construction trades are considered to be at high risk for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs) due to their nature. Previous reviews have addressed various risk factors for developing WRMSDs among construction workers. However, the results appear insufficient because no proper evidence was reported. Therefore, the purpose of this current review is to summarize the occurrence rates of WRMSDs and quantify the relationships between various risk factors and WRMSDs among construction workers. Literature searches were conducted through the following six electronic databases from 2000 to 2022: ScienceDirect, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Medline. Selected articles were classified as having a strong, moderate, limited, and no effect, respectively, based on their association with WRMSDs. From the selected 66 articles, the highest occurrence rates of WRMSDs were found in construction workers (ranging from 33% to 89%). There were several significant risk factors for developing WRMSDs in construction workers, including age, working experiences, awkward working postures, vibration, repetitive body movement, manual material handling, biomechanical stress, and physical fatigue. However, most of the study was conducted through a cross-sectional survey to investigate the relationships between these risk factors and WRMSDs in construction workers. To determine the insights on risk factors and WRMSDs among construction workers, experimental, longitudinal, and real-time task-based studies can be conducted. This study may be helpful in improving awareness about risk factors for developing WRMSDs among construction workers.