ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Occupational Health and Safety
This article is part of the Research TopicNavigating Environmental Hazards in the Workplace: Impacts and InterventionsView all 30 articles
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Older Hospital Cleaners in Wenzhou, China
Provisionally accepted
Wei Zhou*
Yiyu Chen- Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are highly prevalent among hospital cleaners globally, yet epidemiological data among older hospital cleaners in China remains limited in the context of workforce aging and delayed retirement policies. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among hospital cleaners in three tertiary public hospitals in Wenzhou, China. Data were collected using the Chinese version of the Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (C-NMQ). A total of 246 hospital cleaners aged ≥50 years and 80 cleaners aged <50 years (as an age comparison group) were included. Chi-square tests and Cochran-Armitage trend tests were used to analyze age-related prevalence patterns. Multivariable logistic regression with backward stepwise selection was employed to identify independent risk factors. Results: The 12-month prevalence of WMSDs among cleaners aged ≥50 years was 32.1%. The most commonly affected body regions were the shoulder, knee, and neck. Multivariable analysis revealed that working in uncomfortable postures (AOR=2.87) and staff shortage (AOR=2.71) were independent risk factors for WMSDs. Sensitivity analysis showed that working >50 hours per week significantly increased the risk of WMSDs. Discussion: Older hospital cleaners experience a considerable burden of WMSDs. Working in uncomfortable postures, staff shortage, and long working hours are major risk factors. Comprehensive interventions targeting ergonomic improvements, organizational management optimization, and occupational health surveillance are recommended, with priority given to early screening and intervention, particularly for workers transitioning into older age groups. These findings provide evidence for occupational health protection in the context of the delayed retirement policy in China.
Keywords: work-related musculoskeletal disorders1, hospital cleaners2, older workers3, occupational health4, delayed retirement policy5
Received: 18 Oct 2025; Accepted: 12 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhou and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wei Zhou, 101012832@seu.edu.cn
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