LAUSR

Abstract The objective of this study was to build a scale of musculoskeletal discomfort for the upper body of footwear industry workers. The self-reported symptoms of 1821 workers were analyzed via exploratory factor analysis and item response theory. The anatomical regions located in the upper body showed ability to discriminate workers with different levels of musculoskeletal discomfort. A scale with six levels was built, ranging from minimal discomfort to maximum discomfort, with greater precision of discomfort scores between 0 and 3. The region of least discomfort on the scale only indicates rare symptoms in the left shoulder. In the region of maximum discomfort, workers experience symptoms in all regions analyzed on a daily basis, with emphasis on the elbows, neck, trapezius, and middle and upper back. The scale has satisfactory psychometric properties to assess musculoskeletal symptoms in footwear industry workers and can be useful in ergonomic studies.