Musculoskeletal Disorders and Sick Leave among Peruvian Construction Workers: Implications for Safety Management

Gutierrez K.; Rodriguez W.; Torres T. · International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering (2026) · DOI: 10.18280/ijsse.160503

Resumen

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a major occupational health concern in construction. In Peru, limited ergonomic awareness and informal labour conditions may contribute to their under-recognition. This study estimated the prevalence, severity and sick leave associated with WMSDs among construction workers in Lima and explored workers' perceptions of pain and symptom reporting in relation to job demands. A cross-sectional survey of 120 workers on a building project was conducted using a modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Descriptive statistics and Kendall's tau-b correlations were applied, and brief field comments were analysed qualitatively. Overall, 70.0% of participants reported pain in at least one body region in the previous 12 months, most frequently in the lower back, shoulders and knees. Pain was generally mild to moderate. Sick leave was reported by 32.0% of workers with lower-back pain and 36.0% of those with shoulder pain. Qualitative comments showed that pain was often normalized, underreported because of stigma, and self-managed to continue working under demanding conditions. These findings support the integration of ergonomic measures, early symptom recognition and supportive reporting cultures into construction safety management.

Instituciones: Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola