Occupational health problems among rural women engaged in agricultural and household activities in Assam

Rural women play a vital role in agricultural production and household management in Assam; however, their extensive involvement in physically demanding activities exposes them to various occupational health hazards. The present study was conducted to assess the participation of rural women in agricultural and household activities, identify occupational health problems, and evaluate the severity of musculoskeletal discomfort among rural women in selected districts of Assam. The study was carried out in Jorhat, Golaghat, and Sivasagar districts, and a total of 120 respondents were selected using the snowball sampling technique. Data were collected through a structured interview schedule, and musculoskeletal discomfort was assessed using the Corlett and Bishop Body Part Discomfort Scale (1976). The findings revealed that rural women were actively engaged in a variety of agricultural, household, and allied activities, particularly weeding, harvesting, drying, livestock management, food preparation, and household cleaning. The major health problems reported by the respondents included back pain (88.46%), skin burns 0due to high temperature (87.69%), joint pain (78.46%), itchy rashes (76.15%), fatigue (73.07%), and stress (69.20%). Severe musculoskeletal discomfort was predominantly observed in the lower back, upper back, neck, knees, thighs, and feet, mainly due to prolonged engagement in repetitive and labour-intensive activities performed under awkward working postures. The study highlights the considerable drudgery and occupational health burden experienced by rural women and emphasizes the need for ergonomic interventions, occupational health awareness, and drudgery-reducing technologies to improve their health, productivity, and overall quality of life.