Background: Cassava and corn milling is a growing small-scale enterprise in Africa. We aimed to
determine the incidence of handearm musculoskeletal complaints among vibration-exposed Congolese
cassava and corn millers in the previous 12 months.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, prior to a follow-up study, from March to May
2013 among cassava/corn millers in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, in which 365 millers
age-matched to 365 civil workers anonymously answered a questionnaire.
Results: Overall incidence of handearm musculoskeletal complaints was 25.8% in millers (vs. 5.2% in civil
workers; p < 0.001). The risk of experiencing musculoskeletal symptoms was seven times higher in
millers [vs. civil workers; odds ratio (OR) ¼ 7.10; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.03e12.50; p < 0.0001];
2.4 times higher in smoking millers (vs. smoking civil office workers; OR ¼ 2.36; 95% CI: 1.42e3.88;
p < 0.001); 3.6 times higher in millers with longer daily exposure (> 8 hours; vs. those working 8
hours; OR ¼ 3.56; 95% CI: 1.93e3.61; p ¼ 0.026); and 7.4 times higher in young millers (vs. older millers,
OR ¼ 7.39; 95% CI: 1.29e75.52; p < 0.001). Smoking, number of cigarettes, and daily exposure duration
were positively correlated with musculoskeletal complaints.
Conclusion: This study revealed a relatively high incidence of musculoskeletal complaints among African
cassava and corn millers. The use of anti-vibration protective equipment and the regulation of this
hazardous occupation may reduce the burden of musculoskeletal disorders in millers.
2014, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute. Published by Elsevier. All rights reserved.