Background Due to the Syrian war, a massive number of Syrian refugees migrated to Lebanon, which forced children to engage in harmful jobs, mainly agriculture in the Bekaa Valley in the east of Lebanon. Children working in the agricultural sector experience ergonomic hazards associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Methods A survey of 4090 working Syrian refugee children between 8 and 18 years in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon documented the variation in reporting MSDs between male and female working children. Data were collected on demographic, occupational, and socioeconomic indicators and musculoskeletal disorders. Statistical analyses were done using Stata V.15.0. Means and standard deviations were generated for continuous data, and frequencies and percentages for categorical data. Chi Square and independent t-test were used to test significant differences between males and females.

Results Around 4.4% of the child workers experienced MSDs. The highest prevalence of MSDs was among children working in agriculture (73.2%), with a higher prevalence among females (84.5%) than males (63.2%). The most common MSDs reported were back pain, feet pain, joint pain, and knee pain. Significantly, more females (1.3%) reported wrist or hand pain than males (0.6%).

Discussion The study showed that females and males were differently burdened with MSDs. Females child workers bore a higher burden than males due to working both inside and outside the house. Interventions and policies protecting children from harmful exposure and working conditions are needed to safeguard the health of Syrian refugee child workers.