Global prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among sanitary workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

<i>Objectives</i>. Sanitary workers are more likely to experience musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to a lack of ergonomics principles and poor job design. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify MSDs among sanitary workers. <i>Methods</i>. The PRISMA and PICOS protocols were used for flow diagrams and review questions, respectively. Articles published between 2000 and 2022 were eligible. The keywords ‘(Musculoskeletal Disorders) AND (Solid waste collectors *OR Street sweepers *OR Sewage workers *OR health facilities cleaners)’ and MeSH terms were utilized. The data were analyzed using STATA version 17 with a 95% confidence interval (CI). <i>Results</i>. A total of 158 papers were qualified, with 26 studies from 17 countries and a total of 6586 sanitary workers. The global prevalence of MSDs among sanitation workers was 40.52% (95% CI [32.47, 48.67]; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). It was 43.32% (95% CI [31.98, 54.68]; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) in high-income countries and 38.58% (95% CI [26.94, 50.18]; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) in low-income countries. By subgroup analysis, it was 45.12% (95% CI [32.57, 57.67]; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) for solid waste collectors, which is the highest prevalence among other workers. <i>Conclusion.</i> Current evidence shows that sanitation workers have a higher prevalence of occupationally associated MSDs, which might be lowered by using ergonomic work design principles.