Global prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among sanitary workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Sanitary workers are more likely to experience musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to a lack of ergonomics principles and poor job design. Thus, the quantification of this illness among sanitary workers was the goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis. For flow diagrams and review questions the PRISMA and PICOS protocols were used, respectively. The articles published between 2000 to 2022 were eligible. Along with the terms of (Musculoskeletal Disorders) AND (Solid waste collectors *OR Street sweepers *OR Sewage workers *OR health facilities cleaners) and MeSH is utilized. The data was analyzed using STATA 17 software with a 95% confidence interval. A total of 158 papers were qualified, with 26 studies from 17 countries and a total of 6586 sanitary workers were obtained. The global prevalence of MSDs among sanitation workers was 40.52% (95% CI: 32.47-48.67; p < 0.05). It was 43.32% (95%CI:31.98-54.68; p < 0.05) in high-income countries and 38.58% (95%CI:26.94-50.18; p < 0.05) in low-income countries. By sub-group analysis, it was 45.12% (95%CI: 32.57-57.67; p < 0.05) for solid waste collectors, which is the highest prevalence among others. The current evidence shows that sanitation workers have a higher prevalence of occupationally associated MSDs, which might be lowered by using ergonomic work design principles.