Investigating the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Degree of Body Discomfort in the Office Staff of the School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd

Reza JAFARI NODOUSHAN; Saeideh TAHERZADEH; Vida Sadat ANOOSHEH; Sara JAMBARSANG; Moein NEMATI; Elham KARIMI; Mehdi SARLAK

doi:10.18502/ohhp.v5i3.7789

Reza JAFARI NODOUSHAN Occupational Health Research Center, Department of Health, Safety and Environment, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Saeideh TAHERZADEH Occupational Health Research Center, Department of Health, Safety and Environment, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Vida Sadat ANOOSHEH PhD Student of Ergonomics, Department of Ergonomics, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz , Iran
Sara JAMBARSANG Center for Healthcare Data Modeling, Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of public health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Moein NEMATI Occupational Health Research Center, Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Elham KARIMI Occupational Health Research Center, Department of Health, Safety and Environment, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Mehdi SARLAK Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Yazd, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ohhp.v5i3.7789

Keywords: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Office Staff, Nordic Questionnaire, Visual Analog Scale, Body Map

Abstract

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the most important occupational health issues. In recent years, the rapid growth of technology and the use of computers have affected almost all office workstations. These disorders are also very common among office staff. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and the degree of body discomfort in the staff of the School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences Yazd.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 130 office staff of Yazd School of Public Health in 2021. The inclusion criterion consisted of having at least one year of work experience and the exclusion criteria included the presence of musculoskeletal complications in different organs of the body and no history of incidents, accidents, and inherited diseases. To collect data, the Nordic questionnaire was used along with a body map (to better understand the position of the limbs) and a visual analog scale (VAS) (to show the severity of discomfort in different parts of the body). The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22 using frequency, mean, standard deviation, and AONVA tests.

Results: 108 people (83.7%) of the study population felt pain and discomfort in at least one of the 9 areas of the body during the last 12 months. The most musculoskeletal disorders was related to the low back (67.4%), neck (63.6%), and back (55%). Also, the low back waist, neck, and shoulder areas had the highest mean discomfort, respectively, and the thigh and elbow areas had the lowest mean discomfort. In the report of pain by body map, a significant relationship was observed between the variable of work experience and shoulder, thigh, and low back organs (p <0.05). A significant relationship was observed between low back pain, musculoskeletal disorders in the hands and wrists and body mass index (p <0.05).

Conclusion: Due to the high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and the high degree of discomfort, especially in the low back and neck, it is recommended to perform educational programs, corrective exercises, and appropriate interventions.