Table 1.
Characteristics of the study population (n = 21,389), stratified by country
| Characteristics | Ghana (n = 4140) | India (n = 9210) | Russian Federation (n = 5523) | South Africa (n = 2516) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure to the physical exposures measured in the Job Exposure Matrix | ||||
| Heavy physical work | 2955 (71.4%) | 5650 (61.3%) | 1345 (24.3%) | 1136 (45.1%) |
| Kneeling or squatting | 1278 (30.9%) | 1440 (15.6%) | 606 (11.0%) | 783 (31.1%) |
| Heavy lifting | 1762 (42.5%) | 4077 (44.3%) | 536 (9.7%) | 329 (13.1%) |
| Arm elevation | 148 (3.6%) | 216 (2.3%) | 354 (6.4%) | 97 (3.9%) |
| Awkward trunk posture | 3004 (72.5%) | 2732 (29.7%) | 698 (12.6%) | 310 (12.3%) |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 2435 (58.8%) | 5528 (60.0%) | 1906 (34.5%) | 998 (39.7%) |
| Female | 1706 (41.2%) | 3682 (40.0%) | 3617 (65.5%) | 1518 (60.3%) |
| Age groups (years) | ||||
| 30–39 | 84 (2.0%) | 786 (8.5%) | 246 (4.4%) | 20 (0.8%) |
| 40–49 | 246 (5.9%) | 1295 (14.1%) | 242 (4.4%) | 113 (4.5%) |
| 50–59 | 269 (6.5%) | 1028 (11.2%) | 209 (3.8%) | 55 (2.2%) |
| 60–69 | 1340 (32.4%) | 2817 (30.6%) | 2010 (36.4%) | 1193 (47.4%) |
| 70–79 | 1105 (26.7%) | 2133 (23.2%) | 1277 (23.1%) | 663 (26.3%) |
| ≥80 | 1096 (26.5%) | 1151 (12.5%) | 1539 (27.9%) | 472 (18.8%) |
| Body mass index (BMI) | ||||
| < 25 (kg/m2) | 576 (14.2%) | 2944 (32.8%) | 65 (1.3%) | 96 (3.9%) |
| 25–29.99 (kg/m2) | 2472 (61.1%) | 4832 (53.9%) | 1366 (26.7%) | 603 (24.8%) |
| 30–34.99 (kg/m2) | 631 (15.6%) | 1008 (11.2%) | 2056 (40.2%) | 807 (33.1%) |
| ≥35 (kg/m2) | 366 (9.0%) | 183 (2.0%) | 1631 (31.9%) | 929 (38.1%) |
| Household income quintiles | ||||
| Quintile 1 (lowest income) | 866 (20.9%) | 1662 (18.1%) | 819 (14.9%) | 423 (16.8%) |
| Quintile 2 | 816 (19.7%) | 1616 (17.6%) | 980 (17.8%) | 620 (24.7%) |
| Quintile 3 | 737 (17.8%) | 1804 (19.6%) | 949 (17.2%) | 443 (17.6%) |
| Quintile 4 | 821 (19.8%) | 2037 (22.2%) | 1232 (22.4%) | 411 (16.3%) |
| Quintile 5 (highest income) | 897 (21.7%) | 2061 (22.4%) | 1530 (27.8%) | 616 (24.5%) |
| Educational attainment | ||||
| No schooling | 2065 (50.1%) | 3678 (39.9%) | 32 (0.6%) | 457 (20.9%) |
| Some primary school | 447 (10.8%) | 964 (10.5%) | 46 (0.8%) | 418 (19.1%) |
| Primary school completed | 492 (11.9%) | 1479 (16.1%) | 390 (7.1%) | 484 (22.1%) |
| Secondary school completed | 965 (23.4%) | 2322 (25.2%) | 3392 (61.4%) | 640 (29.2%) |
| Tertiary education completed | 152 (3.7%) | 767 (8.3%) | 1662 (30.1%) | 192 (8.8%) |
| Marital status | ||||
| Never married | 141 (3.4%) | 348 (3.8%) | 303 (5.5%) | 354 (14.6%) |
| Married/cohabiting | 2650 (64.3%) | 7593 (82.4%) | 3231 (58.5%) | 1302 (53.6%) |
| Separated/divorced/widow | 1329 (32.3%) | 1268 (13.8%) | 1986 (36.0%) | 772 (31.8%) |
| Region | ||||
| Urban | 1561 (37.7%) | 2817 (30.6%) | 4577 (82.9%) | 1810 (72.0%) |
| Rural | 2580 (62.3%) | 6393 (69.4%) | 946 (17.1%) | 704 (28.0%) |