Assessing Prolonged Postures in Basic Primary Schools at Accra-Adenta

Previous studies indicated that musculoskeletal discomfort and back pain problems were evident not only in adults, but also in children. With regard to this problem, this study assesses the level of prolonged workplace postures on workers and students in basic, primary and junior high schools at Accra-Adenta and also report on the relationship between MSDs as a result of prolonged postures and their effects on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). A convenience sampling approach was first used to select twenty (20) schools from the basic, primary and junior high levels. Furthermore, a random sampling approach was adopted to select respondents from each school. A total of 421 subjects ranging in age from 7 to 54 years were evaluated. Results showed that 50 percent of the subjects reported physical discomfort with neck (65.4%), knee (81.6%) and shoulder (74%) symptoms being the most common complaints. Analysis showed that the symptoms identified could lead to upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. It is therefore recommended that awareness, education and application of ergonomics principles should be highly raised in basic schools to prevent the occurrence of most MSDs.