Investigating the impact of ergonomics training in reducing musculoskeletal discomfort among office workers

Abbasi AM; Bahmanipour  S; rahimi M; Rashidi Z; Sayyadi H

doi:10.18502/tkj.v15i2.13376

Abbasi AM Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, Faculty of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
Bahmanipour S Bachelor student of occupational health and safety engineering, Faculty of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
rahimi M Bachelor student of occupational health and safety engineering, Faculty of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
Rashidi Z Bachelor student of occupational health and safety engineering, Faculty of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
Sayyadi H Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/tkj.v15i2.13376

Keywords: Musculoskeletal disorders, administrative staff, ROSA, Nordic questionnaire, educational intervention

Abstract

Introduction: Office workers, regardless of educational principles, may be exposed to musculoskeletal injuries due to the nature of their work. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of ergonomics training in reducing musculoskeletal disorders among the administrative staff of an Ilam University of Medical Sciences campus.

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 178 administrative staff of Ilam University of Medical Sciences Campus 1 was examined. Musculoskeletal disorders were evaluated using the Nordic questionnaire. Ergonomic risk factors of the workplace were assessed by Rapid Administrative Strain Assessment (ROSA) before and after the training. Data analysis was done through SPSS version 26 statistical software.

Results: According to the findings obtained from the Nordic questionnaire, it was found that the most disorders in the past year were in the back (56.2%) and neck (55.6%) areas and the ROSA evaluation results showed that 24.4% of the subjects the study was at the ergonomic level with high risk. After the implementation of training programs, the results showed that the prevalence of disorders in 9 areas decreased. Also, demographic variables did not have a significant effect on the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. (Significance level 0/05 is assumed)

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that ergonomic training can be an effective method to reduce musculoskeletal discomfort in office work environments.