A Comparative Study of Different Unorganized Sectors’ Workers in India to Identify Musculoskeletal Disorder Prevalence through Empirical Survey and Deep Learning Methods

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a group of non-fatal injuries that can occur as a result of various repetitive workplace activities, mainly in unorganized sectors. Workers who engage in highly repetitive activities involving constant hand effort, localized mechanical pressure, and vibration are more prone to developing these disorders. Objective: The objective of this research was to determine the prevalence of MSDs among workers in various unorganized sectors in India who perform hand-intensive occupations. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 340 workers from diverse groups such as sugarcane farmers, footwear industry workers, and tarpaulin weavers, to accomplish this goal. Data for the survey was collected using a questionnaire. Additionally, a comprehensive time study and a deep learning-based posture detection study were conducted on the different activities performed during the workers' occupational tasks. The chi-square test was used to assess the relationship between discomfort and work repetitiveness. Result: The data analysis revealed that the working activities (especially cutting/harvesting, rubber cutting, etc.) of unorganized sector workers were repetitive, with more than half of each activity’s work cycle involving a similar usage pattern. Furthermore, a significant association was observed between the level of discomfort and work repetitiveness among workers in different sectors (sugarcane farmers: p < 0.01, footwear industry workers: p < 0.05, tarpaulin weavers: p < 0.05). Consequently, it can be concluded that prolonged occupational activities involving repetitive and prolonged standing may contribute to the occurrence of MSDs. Conclusion: Ergonomic interventions/modifications in the form of patent work will be necessary to prevent these issues in the near future.