Method
Study Sample
The self-administered questionnaire was distributed by researchers and completed by workers
during paid work time. 15 women and 15 male workers from the ages 20-50 are scheduled to
participate. The video portion of the study recruited a convenience sample of workers from work
departments (Feeding and watering the cows, milking the cows, caring for the cows, Maintaining
the barns and equipment, and managing finances) at five barn locations managed by a single
corporate employer. All workers who performed production tasks as part of their work duties
were eligible to participate in the video phase, although some declined to appear on camera.
Participation in both study phases was voluntary and all participants signed an informed consent
form.
This study involved two phases:
1. A questionnaire phase to gather information about workers’ MSD symptoms and
perceptions of work tasks
2. A video phase to assess exposures resulting from common dairy and cattle fattening farm
production tasks. Since the goal is to identify potentially high-risk activities and
opportunities for intervention, this study employs a task-based analysis. Cattle
production involves a wide variety of work tasks embedded in several departments and
occupations throughout the cattle lifecycle, as described in Table 1
The duties and responsibilities of a dairy farmer may vary depending on the size of the
operation and the specific requirements of the farm, but generally include the following:
Department Production objectives Main task
Feeding and A dairy farmer must ensure that the This involves mixing
watering cows are provided with a balanced and distributing feed,
the cows diet and access to clean water monitoring feed
consumption, and
ensuring that the
cows have access to
fresh water at all
times.
Milking the Milking the cows is a crucial part This includes
cows of a dairy farmer's job preparing the cows
for milking, using
appropriate milking
equipment, and
monitoring milk
production to ensure
that each cow is
producing an optimal
amount.
Caring for A dairy farmer must ensure the This involves monitoring
the cows health and well-being of the cows. their behavior and physical
condition, administering
vaccinations and medications
when necessary, and
addressing any health issues
that arise.
Maintaining A dairy farmer must keep the barns This includes regular
the barns clean and well-maintained to cleaning, maintenance of
and ensure the health and safety of the equipment, and repairing any
equipment cows damage that occurs
Managing A dairy farmer must
finances manage the financial
aspects of the
operation, including
budgeting,
purchasing feed and
equipment, and
keeping accurate
records of expenses
and income.
Marketing A dairy farmer must sell the milk This involves
and sales produced on the farm. negotiating with
buyers, ensuring that
the milk meets
quality standards, and
adhering to
regulations and laws
related to the sale of
dairy products.
Research A dairy farmer must stay up-to-date This involves
and on the latest research and attending seminars,
Education developments in the industry. reading industry
publications, and
networking with
other farmers.
TABLE 1. Departments, Production Objectives, and Main Tasks Involved in Pork Production
Questionnaire Data Collection
After a short presentation on the purpose of the research, workers completed a one-page questionnaire
during an employee meeting. The questionnaire took 10–25 min to complete and contained questions on
worker demographics, working exposures, and musculoskeletal symptoms from the standardized Nordic
questionnaire. Completed questionnaires were returned directly to the researcher.
[Link] The socio-demographic characteristics of respondents
The demographics of the participants are presented in Table 1. The study comprised 66 farmers (64%) and
37 workers (36%). The proportion of male and female farmers was 62% and 38%, respectively, and of male and
female farm workers 51% and 49%, respectively.
Demographics Dairy Farmers Employed Dairy Farm Workers
Male and female male female male and female male female
Employment
Gender
Age
Height
Weight
Education level
Employment status
Work experience
Job title
Having chronic health
problem (Diabetes,
Allergy, Asthma)
Time per week spent working
with cows
(hour)
Smoking
3. Materials and Methods
Overall methodology of the study was organized on the following flow chart.
Figure 3.1 Overall methodology flow chart
The most common work-related musculoskeletal problem was lower back pain
(32%), followed by knee pain (18%), upper back pain (18%), ankle pain (8%),
neck pain (4%), wrist pain (4%), shoulder pain (2%). Highest prevalence of low
back pain was in age group around 28-35 years. (A study to find work related
musculoskeletal disorders and associated risk factor among dairy
workers)
Source of Data: Data collection to find out the prevalence of WRMD was carried out by the production department
of Sumal dairy Surat.
Study Design: An Observational study Sample size: 50 workers.
Participants: Workers from
production and packing department of Sumul dairy.
Sampling Method: Convenient sampling. Inclusion criteria
included- Age group between 25 to 45 years, Workers have experience more than one year, Both male and female
workers, Workers from the packing and production department
Data collection to find out the prevalence of WRMD was carried out by the production
department of dairy and cattle fattening farms. Farmers from Feeding and watering the cows,
Milking the cows, caring for the cows, Maintaining the barns and equipment workers are the
respondents of the questioner. The Sampling Method is Convenient sampling of 50 workers
included- Age group between 25 to 45 years, Workers have experience more than one year, Both
male and female workers, Workers from the production department.
start
Observation
Interview with managers
Problem justification
Problem formulation
Literature review
Definition of terms
Global and local condition
Ethiopian policy
Collecting literature review
Research design and
Process development
Research design and methodology
Data collection and preparation
Identify data collection tool
Data source organization
Identifying sample size
Data collection Data collection
Analysis of the collected
data
Analysis and research findings
Discussion of the finding discussion
Based on the finding Developing new Improvement and conceptual
Framework design framework development
Developing conclusion
Recommendation Conclusion and recommendation
End
Overall methodology flow chart
