Study Reveals Around 70 Percent of Catering Workers Experience Lower Back Pain

A recent observational study published in the Indian Journal of Orthopaedics in September 2026 reveals that up to 71.1% of catering workers suffer from work-related lower back pain. Combining structured ergonomics training with targeted workplace redesigns offers a vital solution to curb this heavy physical strain.

Although work-related musculoskeletal disorders represent a widespread occupational health challenge, their specific prevalence and predisposing physical factors among industrial kitchen and catering personnel remain an understudied clinical domain. To address this evidence gap, investigators Deepak Sharan and Kiran Mondal conducted a focused evaluation aimed at identifying major ergonomic risk factors, delineating the most vulnerable anatomical regions, and formulating targeted preventive ergonomic recommendations.

Therefore, the observational study evaluated 45 catering workers across 25 routine tasks using standardized ergonomic tools (NMQ, RPE, REBA, and RMFA) to assess postural stress and physical exertion. Excluding non-standard activities, it aimed to map region-specific musculoskeletal symptoms and identify peak biomechanical strains during daily catering duties.

Key clinical findings from the study include:

• Predominant Lumbar Burden: Identified that lower back pain or discomfort represented the highest reported symptom burden among catering personnel, affecting 71.1% of the evaluated workforce.

• High Upper Extremity Vulnerability: Observed substantial musculoskeletal morbidity across upper limb sites, with wrist or hand discomfort reported by 68.9% and shoulder pain noted in 62.2% of workers.

• Peak Task-Specific Stress: Determined that transferring the Hoffman box from the delivery truck to the cafeteria constituted the single most psychophysically and biomechanically demanding activity among all 25 studied tasks.

• Severe Training Deficit: Revealed a critical preventative gap in occupational health preparedness, as only 7% of the study population had ever received formal ergonomics training.

The results suggest that industrial kitchen personnel face substantial musculoskeletal strain—notably lower back discomfort in 71.1% and hand or wrist pain in 68.9%—which is exacerbated by heavy material handling and an overwhelming lack of ergonomic instruction. Consequently, establishing targeted physical interventions is essential to safeguard workforce health and minimize occupational disability in this vulnerable occupational group.

Thus, the study concludes that clinicians and occupational health practitioners should consider recommending structured ergonomics education alongside workplace and task design modifications to effectively diminish musculoskeletal symptom burdens among catering staff.

While the observational and questionnaire-based design focused on 45 workers highlights critical ergonomic risk factors, future multi-center quantitative research involving larger cohorts could further clarify long-term ergonomic intervention outcomes in commercial catering environments.

ReferenceSharan D, Mondal K. Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Industrial Kitchen and Catering Workers. Indian Journal of Orthopaedics. Published online September 07, 2026.