Ergonomic risk in indigenous women of three communities of Vaupés in the scraping of cassava for the traditional manufacture of fariña

Abstract

Background: Fariña is a typical food of Vaupés traditionally manufactured by indigenous women through a process that links 6 phases: planting, harvesting, transport, grating, drying, and roasting. This food is a basic input in the diet of the indigenous peoples, so its production is designed for self-consumption; however, nowadays, this product is easily marketed, which generates an increase in its production in the territory.
Objective: To determine the level of ergonomic risk to which Indigenous women's health is exposed during the cassava grating phase for the traditional manufacture of fariña.
Methods: The research design associates a quantitative approach methodology in which the JSI method was used with data from three Indigenous women, 38, 42, and 47 years of age, inhabitants of the communities of Cubay, Cerrito Verde, and Ceima Cachivera in Vaupés, who produce fariña for family consumption. The instruments used were field observation and unstructured interviews.
Result: It was possible to determine a high risk to women's health during the shredding of cassava that could eventually lead to the development of musculoskeletal disorders, making it possible to infer that it is inappropriate to increase the traditional production of fariña for commercial purposes.