Background and Objective: Ergonomically inappropriate postures and workstations, manual handling of loads, and working for long periods of time with little rest breaks cause postural and musculoskeletal disorders, as well as deformities and abnormalities of the spine and shoulders. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of postural disorders of kyphosis, lordosis, and shoulder droop among workers in the furniture industry in Malayer, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on 148 workers working at the furniture industry in Malayer, Iran. A flexible ruler was used to examine the condition of the spine, which included measuring kyphosis and lordosis, and a shoulder droop measuring device was used for shoulder position. Moreover, the postures of the workers were also measured using the REBA assessment method. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22).
Results: Out of the total participants, 18 (12.2%) cases had abnormal kyphosis, 75 (50.7%) subjects suffered from abnormal lordosis, and 122 (82.4%) cases had shoulder droop. The ergonomic assessment, conducted using the REBA method, with an average of 2.35, showed that the work postures had a medium to high-risk level.
Conclusion: This study showed that shoulder droop, lordosis, and kyphosis were common among the workers in the furniture and woodcarving industry of Haji Abad Industrial Town, Malayer, Iran. According to the results obtained, workers in this industry need more support, and it is essential to provide appropriate working conditions in terms of postures and ergonomic workstations to reduce occupational posture injuries.