[Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and associated factors among metal industry workers in Canoas--RS].

Workers health is a field of community health that has opened spaces for identifying and preventing work-related diseases, especially musculoskeletal disorders in view of their extent and magnitude. We conducted thus a cross-sectional study in the biggest metal industry in the city of Canoas--RS, aimed at identifying the musculoskeletal symptoms of a group of metal industry workers and the association of these symptoms with socio-demographic and occupational variables. Two questionnaires were employed for gathering data: the first one was used to collect information on demographic and occupational variables and individual life habits and the second for identifying the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms (Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire).