JOURNAL OF LIAONING TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

FREQUENCY OF HAMSTRING TIGHTNESS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG SEWING MACHINE WORKERS

Maiza Mustafa, Gul Andama, Zia Ullah Khan, Amsha Ghazi, Syed Hashir Ali, Kiran Shafique, Hifza Mubarik, Pakeza Sarwar

ABSTRACT:

Background: Sewing machine workers, a significant part of the global workforce, face ergonomic challenges due to prolonged sitting, repetitive movements of lower limb in pressing of sewing machine paddle and fine movement skills. Prolonged sitting and paddling task raises risk of musculoskeletal problems. Objective: To determine the frequency of the Hamstring Tightness and its impact on Quality of life among the sewing Machine Workers. Methodology: The study design was analytical cross sectional study. This study design was used to identify the influential characteristics of the target population at a certain point in time. A cross sectional study captures a specific moment in time. It was used to support or refute hypothesis. It did not take a lot of time or money to complete. It had several variables when the data snapshot was taken. Result: This study investigates the impact of Hamstring Tightness on various dimensions of health and quality of life among 377 participants. The mean age of participants was 31.66 years (SD = 5.18), with a gender distribution of 57.6% males and 42.4% females. Findings revealed that 60.2% of participants were affected by Hamstring Tightness. Using the SF-36 questionnaire, significant associations were observed between Hamstring Tightness and several health domains: general health (p < 0.001), physical functioning (p < 0.001), emotional health (p < 0.001), physical health (p < 0.001), social activities (p < 0.001), pain (p < 0.001), emotional wellbeing (p < 0.001), and overall QOL (p < 0.001). Participants with Hamstring Tightness consistently reported poorer outcomes across these domains compared to their counterparts without the condition. Conclusion: The frequency of Hamstring Tightness among Sewing Machine Workers was 60.2%. Hamstring tightness has a significant impact on quality of life among Sewing Machine Workers.

Key Words: Hamstring Tightness, Quality of Life, Sewing Machine Workers, Occupational Health, SF 36 questionnaire.