Al-Khiami, M I; Lindhard, S M and Wandahl, S (2025) Paradox in practice: Work-related musculoskeletal disorder prevalence and reporting among construction workers in Kuwait and Denmark. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7): 04025078, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a significant health issue among construction workers, with prevalence influenced by factors such as personal demographics, exposure to work risk factors, and working conditions. This study addresses a research gap by comparing WMSD prevalence between Kuwait and Denmark; two countries with contrasting working conditions. Data were collected from 117 workers in Kuwait and 47 in Denmark using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Results showed that 78.72% of Danish workers reported discomfort in at least one body part compared to 52.14% in Kuwait, despite Denmark's comparatively better working conditions. Additionally, absenteeism due to WMSDs was higher in Denmark (29.79%) than in Kuwait (9.40%). This paradoxical finding led to further analysis using logistic regression that indicated country was a significant predictor of WMSD reporting (OR=3.38, p<0.05), with Danish workers being substantially more likely to report WMSDs than their Kuwaiti counterparts. This suggested potential underreporting in Kuwait, prompting an investigation into organizational, economic, and cultural factors that may influence reporting behaviors. Specifically, Kuwait's high power distance and uncertainty avoidance may contribute to miscommunication and underreporting, while Denmark's individualistic culture encourages transparency. This study makes two primary contributions to the construction engineering and management body of knowledge by: (1) providing the first cross cultural analysis of WMSD prevalence between Gulf Cooperation Council and Nordic construction sectors, and (2) demonstrating that country factors - likely cultural in nature - are stronger predictors of WMSD reporting than individual worker personal demographics. For Kuwait, this implies a need for improved reporting systems, greater worker empowerment, and enhanced working conditions, while Denmark would benefit from a focus on strengthening preventive measures. Future research should further explore the role of cultural influences on WMSD reporting. This study underscores the importance of culturally informed approaches in developing effective workplace health and safety strategies.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | cross cultural analysis; health reporting behavior; Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire; occupational health; risk factors; workforce demographics; working conditions; questionnaire |
| Index terms: | Kuwait, questionnaire, strengthening, body of knowledge, Denmark, construction sector, exposure, Gulf cooperation council, paradox, empowerment, absenteeism, health and safety, strategy, occupational health, construction engineering, risk factor, investigation, construction worker, demographics, working conditions, transparency, logistic regression, discomfort |
| Subjects: | practitioner, knowledge management, Geography, health safety and environment, structural engineering, environmental hazards, demography, data collection methods, social theory and frameworks, institutional frameworks, employment law, professional development, management, health risk and incident analysis, engineering methods, public and environmental health, industry analysis, statistical analysis, occupational health and safety management |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Governance, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Information Management, Urban Studies, Human Resources, Sustainability, Health and Safety, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Legal Issues |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here