Vol. 11, Special Issue 5 (2022)

Author(s):
Poonam and Aditi Vats

Abstract:
Women are not only carriers of human race but civilization and sustainable development rest on them. Their role is quietly appreciated without economic recognition, regard and accountability. The household activities farm women of Uttarakhand do are labour intensive, time consuming, arduous, monotonous, repetitive, manual and within economic return resulting in fatigue and drudgery. This study was conducted to determine the perceived physiological exertion, physiological responses and musculoskeletal problem while doing the activity of fetching fodder collection. The subject included forty farm women of within the age group of 25 to 55 years having the average BMI of 21.87 kg/m2, while doing the activity average heart rate, energy expenditure, total cardiac cost of work and physiological cost of work were 129.67 bpm, 11.90 kj/min, 8529.59 beats and 47.92 ppm, respectively. Perceived physical exertion was rated by farm women as “heavy to very heavy”. Incidences of musculoskeletal problem were also very high as farm women reported that they had severe to very severe pain in upper and lower back, neck, head, arm, wrist and fingers.