Investigating the impact of teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic on work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and psychosocial factors of employees: a review article

Ghasemi  N; Fallah  H; Nabian  M; Ghasemi  M; Halvani  Gh; Najafipour  A

doi:10.18502/tkj.v16i3.16877

Ghasemi N Master of ergonomic, Department of occupational health, School of health, Yazd university of medical sciences, Yazd, Iran
Fallah H Assistant professor, Department of occupational health, School of health, Yazd university of medical sciences, Yazd, Iran
Nabian M Orthopedics assistant professor, Trans-disciplinary research Institute of COTAR, Tehran, Iran
Ghasemi M Associate Professor, School of nursery, Islamic Azad University, Arak Science and Research Unit, Arak, Iran
Halvani Gh Associate Professor, Department of occupational health, School of health, Yazd university of medical sciences, Yazd, Iran
Najafipour A Medical student, Medical school, Tehran university of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/tkj.v16i3.16877

Keywords: Ergonomics, Teleworking, psychosocial factors, Work related musculoskeletal disorders, COVID19

Abstract

Introduction: Advances in technology have increased job flexibility for employees and employers alike. On the other hand, effective teleworking requires planning, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many employees to quickly change their workplace from outside to home, without ensuring that the conditions are ready. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of teleworking on musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial factors in the days of Corona.

Materials and Methods: This research was done by a review method. Articles were searched from 2020 to 2023 on PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar sites with the key words Ergonomics, Teleworking, MSDs, and COVID19.

Results: A total of 93 articles were reviewed. By evaluating the titles, 45 related articles and 30 articles were selected by reviewing the abstracts, and finally 13 articles which full text was available were selected. These articles refer to the study of the effects of teleworking on musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial factors in the era of Corona.

Conclusion: Most of the studies point to the increase of musculoskeletal disorders. Teleworkers have experienced more musculoskeletal pain and discomfort in different areas of the body. Longer working hours with shorter breaks to meet increased work demands, social isolation, lack of support from colleagues, blurred boundaries between work and home, and omnipresence of work are some of the psychosocial and organizational factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders. For some employees, teleworking will remain a common way of working in the post-pandemic era. Therefore, it is necessary to identify telework-related risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders and address them with timely telework preventive measures and the individual needs of employees.