Prevalence and Risk Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders among South Asian Brick Kiln Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a global health concern affecting various professions, particularly manual laborers, such as brick kiln workers (BkWs) predominantly in South Asia. However, limited research has been conducted on the prevalence of MSDs and associated risk factors among BkW. This study aims to determine the prevalence of MSDs among BkW and identify associated risk factors. We used a systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis (MA) to synthesize the existing literature on the MSDs of BkW. The Boolean search technique was used to extract sources from electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science). Only peer-reviewed research articles on work-related MSDs (WMSDs) of BkW in the English language have been considered. We calculated the standard error and prevalence rate of MSDs in each body part for the MA. Our initial search yielded 40 articles, of which 13 were eligible for SR and 11 for MA. The majority of studies stemmed from India, and few from Nepal and Pakistan. The highest WMSDs were found to be lower back (76.27%; 95% CI 66.15-86.40), shoulders (61.91%; 95% CI 46.62-77.19), wrist/hand (59.94%; 95% CI 45.30-74.58), and knees (55.55%; 95% CI 36.93-74.18) among BkW. The significant risk factors for WMSDs included low body mass index (BMI), age, sex, posture, repetition, working duration, and experience. BKWs had high prevalence outcomes on WMSDs in the lower back, shoulders, knees, and wrists but the evidence for risk factors related to MSDs was low in these studies. Further research and preventive measures are crucial for safeguarding the health and well-being of these workers.