Development of MSD among the farm women involved in traditional and mechanized method of rice cultivation of northern India

Traditional method of uprooting and transplanting of rice seedlings in puddled field is widely accepted cultivation practice in India and high labor-intensive operations in agriculture. During these operations farm workers are suffered from body pain and the development of musculoskeletal disorders . The present investigation is aimed to study musculoskeletal problems of the farm women while uprooting and transplanting operations by traditional and mechanised methods of rice cultivation.. The body pain and musculoskeletal disorders was assessed with body map. Twenty female subjects with normal health, without any major illness or cardio-vascular problems were selected for the study. The age range of the subjects was 20-55 yrs. While performing the uprooting and transplanting operations in traditional method majority of the women complained ‘Very Severe’ and ‘Severe’ pain in the different body regions. But reduction in the percentage of women complaining about the musculoskeletal problems was observed with the use of improved methods of uprooting and transplanting. The percentage reduction in grip strength was also observed to be lower in improved method compared to traditional method. With mechanized method, the physiological workload and drudgery of farm women can reduce and increase their working efficiency and productivity significantly.