The global prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among firefighters: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT This systematic review and meta-analysis study aimed to explore the global prevalence of MSDs among firefighters. A systematical search was performed in three international academic databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science). Overall, 31 articles were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of total MSDs in firefighters was identified as 41% (95% CI (33, 50)). The prevalence of MSDs in neck, shoulders, upper back, lower back, upper extremity, and lower extremity was 9% (95% CI (7, 10)), 11% (95% CI (8, 15)), 8% (95% CI (5, 12)), 31% (95% CI (27, 34)), 13% (95% CI (9, 17)), and 16% (95% CI (14, 18)), respectively. No statistically significant relationship was observed between prevalence of MSDs and year of study, mean of age, size of sample, duration of prevalence, region, or income level. The demographic, occupational, and medical condition factors were identified that can create these disorders among firefighters.