Assessing the Link Between Physical Activity and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Taxi Drivers: A Comparison of Accelerometry and Self‐Report Measures

TL;DR

This study compares how well self-reported and wearable device measurements of physical activity predict musculoskeletal pain in taxi drivers, finding that neither method shows a clear link to pain levels.

Contribution

The study highlights discrepancies between self-reported and objective physical activity measures and their lack of association with MSD prevalence in taxi drivers.

Findings

Self-reported physical activity was significantly overestimated compared to accelerometry measurements.

No significant association was found between physical activity levels and musculoskeletal disorder prevalence.

Taxi drivers showed high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, particularly in the neck and lower back.

Abstract

Taxi drivers are at an elevated risk for work‐related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), and the reasons for this are prolonged sitting, static postures, and whole‐body vibration. Physical activity (PA) may mitigate MSD risk but is often assessed subjectively. This study compared objective (wrist‐worn accelerometry) and subjective (IPAQ‐S) measures of PA and sedentary behaviours by examining their associations with MSD prevalence in taxi drivers from Spain and Chile.

In this cross‐sectional study, 170 taxi drivers (mean age 51.9 ± 10.7 years; 87.1% male) completed sociodemographic and Nordic questionnaires on MSDs (7‐day recall), and the IPAQ‐S for PA. A subsample of 36 wore a wrist‐worn accelerometer for seven days to quantify sedentary time and PA amount and intensities.

Overall, 68.8% of drivers reported pain in at least one body region in the past 7 days, most commonly the neck (36.5%) and lower back (32.9%). IPAQ‐S overestimated moderate‐to‐vigorous PA (145.7 ± 140.2 vs. 42.4 ± 31.2 min/day, p < 0.01) compared with accelerometry, with moderate correlation (r = 0.47). Sedentary time averaged 715.5 ± 146.9 min/day by accelerometry, with negligible correlation to IPAQ‐S (r = −0.01). Female drivers had higher odds of neck, upper back, and lower back pain, while higher BMI was associated with knee pain. No significant associations were found between PA levels and MSD prevalence.

Taxi drivers exhibit high MSD prevalence, extreme sedentary exposure, and marked overestimation of PA in self‐reports. Neither self‐reported nor accelerometer‐measured physical activity was significantly associated with 7‐day MSD prevalence. Targeted interventions should combine ergonomic improvements, active breaks, and accurate monitoring tools to reduce occupational health risks.

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