Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Women constitute a substantial share of the agricultural labor force in Africa, yet the tools and machinery available to them are mostly designed based on male anthropometric norms; this imposes avoidable musculoskeletal risk and drudgery. This study evaluated the ergonomic compatibility of four commonly used farm implements, a traditional hoe, a manually operated groundnut harvester, a knapsack sprayer, and a cassava frying/garri-processing station. It considered the anthropometric and postural needs of women farm operators, and tested a set of dimensional optimizations intended to reduce musculoskeletal risk. One hundred and fifty (150) women farm operators aged 20–55 years in south-western Nigeria were anthropometrically measured across sixteen body dimensions, and postural risk during machine operation was assessed using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) methods, complemented by the Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and an Overall Discomfort Rating (ODR, Borg CR-10 scale). Anthropometric analysis showed that there is a substantial mismatch between machine dimensions and the accommodating range of females; between 24% and 88% of operators fell outside the recommended fit envelope for individual interface parameters. Based on dimensional optimization of handle height, grip diameter, working height, and load distribution, mean REBA scores fell from 7.7 ± 1.0 to 4.4 ± 0.7, and mean RULA scores fell from 6.1 ± 0.9 to 3.8 ± 0.6 in a one-way ANOVA and paired t-test, p < 0.00. Musculoskeletal discomfort that had prevailed for 12 months fell across all nine body regions assessed by the NMQ. It was most notable in the lower back from 74% to 35%, shoulders from 69% to 31%, and wrists/hands from 61% to 22%. The results showed that the redesign of machine operator interfaces can measurably reduce musculoskeletal risk and drudgery among women farmers. The study proposes a replicable ergonomic optimization protocol for extension and manufacturing use.
Source: WORLD WOMEN STUDIES JOURNAL
Author: Olusegun, Adedipe
Institution: Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223521303