Prevalence of Work- Related Musculoskeletal Discomfort (WRMSDs) among delivery agents of e-commerce

Introduction

In today's rapidly changing and highly competitive business environment, companies ranges from small startups to established corporations. They often outsource specific services to remain agile and cost-efficient. Traditionally, this outsourcing has been associated with Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operations, such as call centers, where agents handle tasks like customer complaints and service inquiries. In a similar vein, the e-commerce sector relies heavily on outsourcing labor through gig-based delivery networks, where independent delivery agents play a critical role in last-mile logistics by transporting purchased goods from warehouses directly to customers' doorsteps. An ecommerce delivery agent is typically a blue-collar job that falls under the logistics and supply chain management sector. It involves manual labor and physical tasks, as opposed to the office-based, administrative work of a white-collar job (Team AamDhanE, 2024) [7] . Delivery agents in the e-commerce industry work under demanding conditions that involve repetitive tasks, prolonged working hours, carrying heavy loads and navigating complex urban traffic, which can exacerbate both physical and psychological strain (Kallu and Sushmitha, 2025; Srinivasan et al., 2023) [5,3] . These occupational factors have been linked to a high prevalence of workrelated musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) a category of acute and chronic conditions affecting muscles, tendons and nerves (Shinde and Jeswani, 2023) [6] . Common WRMSDs include tension neck syndrome, tendinitis and low back pain, all of which are frequently reported among delivery workers due to repetitive motion, awkward postures and extended periods of riding or walking (Srinivasan et al., 2023; Shinde and Jeswani, 2023) [3,6] . Physical discomfort and ergonomic risks not only diminish the concentration and motivation of delivery agents, but also threaten their productivity and job sustainability. In the ecommerce delivery context, musculoskeletal pain has been shown to be prevalent in multiple body regions, particularly the lower back and shoulders, due to continuous handling of parcels and long work shifts (Shinde and Jeswani, 2023) [6] . Additionally, irregular hours, exposure to environmental stressors like heat and traffic and limited access to occupational health services further compound these health problems among delivery agents (Kallu and Sushmitha, 2025) [5] . If left unaddressed, these issues can decrease individual performance and ultimately hinder the operational efficiency of e-commerce logistics systems. Given the dual pressures of meeting consumer demand and maintaining workforce health, it is crucial for e-commerce firms to adopt ergonomic interventions and supportive workplace practices that enhance comfort, reduce physical strain and protect the well-being of their delivery workforce. www.extensionjournal.com

Review of Literature

Across diverse occupational settings, a growing body of research demonstrates that workers engaged in delivery, packing and parcel-handling activities face a substantial burden of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Early evidence from packing workers showed that musculoskeletal discomfort was common, particularly in the lower back, shoulders and neck, that cumulative work exposure significantly increased the risk of symptoms in multiple body regions (Ghasemkhani et al., 2008) [8] . Subsequent studies in parcel and postal delivery work have reinforced these findings, reporting widespread pain in the shoulders, lower back, hands and knees, alongside biomechanical risk factors such as repetitive motions, cervical protrusion, trunk flexion and postural strain, especially among taller workers (Silva et al., 2022) [9] . Among light duty vehicle drivers in mail and parcel fleets, frequent manual handling, prolonged driving and route characteristics were associated with elevated prevalence of low back pain and upper-extremity disorders, highlighting the combined effects of parcel handling and vehicle-related ergonomic stressors (Radauceanu et al., 2023) [10] . Evidence from corrugated box factories further illustrates the broader relevance of these patterns, nearly all workers reported WRMSDs with marked reductions in health-related quality of life, underscoring the systemic impact of repetitive and forceful physical demands (Kulkarni and Shaikh, 2024) [11] . More recent research focusing specifically on app-based and e-commerce delivery riders indicates an alarming rise in musculoskeletal morbidity driven by prolonged riding, heavy parcel loads and increasingly intense work schedules. Studies among food and parcel delivery workers across several geographic contexts consistently report high prevalence of WMSDs, particularly affecting the neck, shoulders and lower back, with whole-body and hand-arm vibration emerging as important ergonomic stressors (Yang et al., 2021) [4] . Delivery personnel working more than eight hours per day, handling heavier parcels or riding extensively reported significantly higher pain, activity limitation and injury rates (Srinivasan et al., 2023) [3] . Among riders in Malaysia and India, chronic lower and upper-back pain, shoulder complaints, absenteeism and reduced well-being were frequently documented, alongside risk behaviours such as dehydration and skipped meals that further compounded health outcomes (Ahmad et al., 2023; Benson et al., 2024) [2, 12] . Large community surveys also reveal broader comorbidities, including headaches and ocular problems linked to environmental exposures, traffic conditions and irregular work schedules, with older workers showing greater vulnerability due to cumulative strain (Kallu and Sushmitha, 2025) [5] . Collectively, these studies highlight that delivery-related occupations are characterized by multifactorial ergonomic hazards such as repetition, vibration, awkward posture, prolonged riding and extended working hours, reinforcing the urgent need for targeted ergonomic redesign, workload regulation and preventive occupational health programs. Objectives 1. To understand the demographic profile of the delivery agents of e-commerce 2. To analyze the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort experienced with the help of Cornell Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire (CMDQ) 3. To provide strategies to mitigate its occurrence.

Methods and Materials

A survey-based exploratory study was carried out among 200 delivery agents working for e-commerce in two cities of Uttarakhand i.e. Rudrapur and Haldwani. Data was collected using a self-constructed, pre-validated questionnaire administered through structured interviews with randomly selected participants. The questionnaire comprised two sections: Demographic information and a body map based on the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ). The CMDQ is an open-access instrument developed by Dr. Alan Hedge and colleagues at Cornell University (https://ergo.human.cornell.edu/ahmsquest.html). Data was analyzed using simple descriptive statistics in MS Excel (version 2009) and the results were summarized using tables.

Results and Discussion

Demographic profile of the delivery agents n=200 The majority of the respondents belonged to the younger working-age group. More than half (56.5%) were between 18-28 years of age, followed by 34.5% in the 28-38 years range, while only 9% were above 38 years. This indicates that e-commerce delivery work is largely undertaken by younger adults, likely due to the physical demands of long riding hours, loading, unloading and time-bound deliveries. With respect to marital status, most respondents were reported as married (72%), while 43% were unmarried, the table suggests that a considerable proportion of workers shoulder family responsibilities along with work obligations. This may increase financial pressure and influence job stability and stress levels among delivery agents. Educationally, the largest proportion of the respondents was graduates (43.5%), followed by those with intermediate education (34.5%). Only 18% reported education up to high school and 4% possessed a diploma qualification. This pattern shows that even individuals with higher education are engaged in delivery work, possibly due to limited employment opportunities in other sectors or the easy entry nature of gig-economy jobs. Most respondents belonged to nuclear families (91%), while www.extensionjournal.com only 9% lived in joint families. The predominance of nuclear households indicates limited shared financial and social support, which may intensify economic vulnerability when income becomes irregular or during illness and injury.

Musculoskeletal Discomfort Experienced

The assessment of musculoskeletal discomfort among the delivery agents was conducted using the Cornell Modified Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ), developed by Cornell University in 1999. The CMDQ is a validated tool designed to systematically document the presence, frequency and severity of musculoskeletal symptoms across different body regions. It has been widely applied in occupational health research by providing a standardized method for data collection the CMDQ facilitates a comprehensive evaluation of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), thereby supporting evidence-based planning of ergonomic interventions and preventive strategies.

References

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