To determine the prevalence and related factors of work related musculoskeletal symptoms in hairdressers.

Informations on general characteristics, job strain, and musculoskeletal symptoms were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire, through adopting NIOSH instrument and JCQ(Job content questionnaire), from 267 hairdressers, between March and May, 2000.

The symptom prevalence by NIOSH surveillance criteria in total was high as 94.4%; shoulder (61.0%), neck (59.9%), low back (53.2%), hand and wrist (41.6%), etc. In multiple logistic regression, significant factors affecting the symptoms by body region; job insecurity on neck' gender, alcohol, decision latitude on low back; alcohol on hand and wrist; smoking on thigh and knee,' smoking, decision latitude on ankle and foot; job insecurity on upper back.

Musculoskeletal symptoms of hairdresser were highly prevalent, and associated with job strain and their health habits. This is a basic data of work related musculoskeletal disorders among hairdressers who are not the subjects of occupational health service at the present time in Korea.