Assessing the Link Between Physical Activity and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Taxi Drivers: A Comparison of Accelerometry and Self-Report Measures.

A majority of taxi drivers reported musculoskeletal pain in at least one body region in the past 7 days.

• 68.8% of drivers reported pain in at least one body region in the past 7 days
• Most commonly affected regions were the neck (36.5%) and lower back (32.9%)
• Study included 170 taxi drivers with mean age 51.9 ± 10.7 years; 87.1% male
• Drivers were from Spain and Chile
• MSDs were assessed using the Nordic questionnaire with a 7-day recall period

The IPAQ-S self-report measure significantly overestimated moderate-to-vigorous physical activity compared to wrist-worn accelerometry.

• IPAQ-S reported 145.7 ± 140.2 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous PA versus 42.4 ± 31.2 min/day measured by accelerometry
• The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.01)
• The correlation between IPAQ-S and accelerometry for moderate-to-vigorous PA was moderate (r = 0.47)
• A subsample of 36 taxi drivers wore a wrist-worn accelerometer for seven days

Sedentary time measured by accelerometry was extremely high and showed negligible correlation with self-reported sedentary behaviour.

• Accelerometry-measured sedentary time averaged 715.5 ± 146.9 min/day (approximately 11.9 hours/day)
• The correlation between accelerometry-measured sedentary time and IPAQ-S was negligible (r = -0.01)
• This indicates self-report measures were unable to capture actual sedentary exposure in this population

No significant associations were found between physical activity levels and MSD prevalence in taxi drivers.

• This null association held for both self-reported (IPAQ-S) and accelerometer-measured PA
• The 7-day MSD prevalence was the outcome measure used in these analyses
• The study design was cross-sectional, limiting causal inference

Female sex and higher BMI were associated with specific musculoskeletal pain outcomes.

• Female drivers had higher odds of neck, upper back, and lower back pain
• Higher BMI was associated with knee pain
• The sample was predominantly male (87.1%), potentially limiting statistical power for sex-based comparisons

Taxi drivers are at elevated risk for work-related MSDs due to prolonged sitting, static postures, and whole-body vibration.

• These occupational exposures are identified as primary contributors to MSD risk in this population
• The study recruited drivers from two countries (Spain and Chile) in a cross-sectional design
• Sociodemographic questionnaires were administered alongside the Nordic and IPAQ-S questionnaires