Indian Journal of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, October-December 2020, Vol. 14, No. 4 141 A Study on Prevalence of Musculoskeletal and Work Related Risk Factors among Fish Processing Industry Workers in Mangalore: - A Community based Survey Priyanka Nayak 1 , Shyam Krishnan 2 , Vivek Vijayan Menon 3 , Vijaya Kumar 4 1 Assistant Professor, Nitte Institute of Physiotherapy, Nitte University Deralakatte- Mangalore, Karnataka-India, 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka-India, 3 Assistant Professor, Nitte Institute of Physiotherapy, Nitte University Deralakatte- Mangalore, Karnataka-India, 4 Associate Professor and PhD Department of Physiotherapy, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka- India Abstract Background: Fishing and fsh processing in India is a major industry in coastal states. Job demand in fshing industry involves awkward work postures, repetitive or continuous stresses on a worker’s musculoskeletal system which makes them vulnerable for various work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). Several risk factors at workplace and in the work related task have been identifed to be strongly associated with WRMSDs, however there is limited retrievable literature identifying these risk factors in people involved fshing and fsh processing industry. Objectives: To fnd out the prevalence and association between WRMSD and task related ergonomic risk factors in fsh processing industry. Studydesign: Cross sectional study design. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among (n=83) various workers involved in the fsh processing industries along the coastal region of Southern Karnataka. NMQ which is a valid and reliable self-administrated questionnaire commonly used to identify WMSDs was distributed among the workers at their worksite. Subjects who had completed the NMQ with more than 90% response rate were included for data analysis, and task analysis was done by using REBA which was evaluated through tripod mounted motion capture camera. Results: The prevalence data in this study was collected using Nordic musculo-skeletal questionnaire, in which it was found that musculo-skeletal issues pertaining to neck and upper back were the most prevalent (52.9% each) in the period of past 12 months followed by lower back (51.8%), knee (42.4%), shoulder (31.8%), elbow (20%), wrist (16.5%) , ankle (15.3%) and Hips (7.1%). Of all the occupational categories analysed, the mean REBA score was the highest for cutting (6.88+ .32), whereas all the other categories had an identical mean score of 6.0+0 and the difference was found to be very highly signifcant. Conclusion: This study fnding showed the link between adverse effects of inadequate work conditions and musculoskeletal injuries in fshery industry. Key words: Fishing, Fish industry, workers, musculoskeletal problems Corresponding Author: Priyanka Nayak Assistant Professor, Nitte Institute of Physiotherapy, Nitte University Deralakatte- Mangalore, Karnataka-India Email: priyankanayak064@gmail.com Phone: +919880041690 Introduction Fish processing industries, which include occupational activities such as harvesting, processing and marketing sector, have experienced tremendous growth in recent years 1 . It is a major source of employment, foreign exchange and income for the livelihood for a large number of people in the coastal areas of India 2 . Fishing and related industries occupy a signifcant role in the national economy 3 . The fsh processing work involves varied tasks such as sorting (segregate different kinds of fshes), peeling (removing the shells and skins), ring cutting (cutting of processed fshes in the form of a ring). grading (segregate the fshes depending on their weight and sizes), and packing (wrapping either the whole