Assessment of Musculoskeletal Injury Burden in Agricultural Workers in Benue State

Agricultural work involves repetitive physical activities, hazardous equipment use, and prolonged awkward postures that place workers at significant risk of musculoskeletal injuries. Nigeria's rural agrarian communities in the North Central zone carry a high agricultural occupational health burden, yet orthopaedic injury surveillance data for this sector are scarce. This cross-sectional study estimates the burden of musculoskeletal injuries and associated work-related risk factors among smallholder agricultural workers in three local government areas of Benue State, North Central Nigeria. A validated occupational musculoskeletal injury questionnaire adapted for low-literacy populations will be administered to 280 consenting workers. Data on injury type, anatomical location, occupation-specific activities, protective equipment use, access to orthopaedic care, and work absenteeism will be collected. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression will be applied. The study hypothesises that lower back injuries and upper extremity trauma from sharp implement use are the most prevalent injuries. Findings will be presented to the Benue State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to support development of occupational safety regulations and musculoskeletal health screening programmes for agricultural workers. This research addresses a critical gap in occupational orthopaedic epidemiology in the North Central zone. Keywords: agricultural workers, musculoskeletal injuries, occupational health, Benue State, rural Nigeria.