An ergonomic imperative for the silent epidemic of musculoskeletal disorders in health networks

Stretching Exercise Interventions

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), a major occupational health problem in the healthcare sector, are often exacerbated by prolonged uncomfortable or static positions, handling patients and heavy physical workloads. The productivity and welfare of health workers is severely compromised by the high prevalence of these disorders. The purpose of the study was to determine the exact prevalence of multiple sclerosis among medical personnel at the Pardis Health Network of the Shahid Beheshti University of Medicine in Tehran, Iran. The study design used was a cross-sectional design. The multistage cluster sampling was used for the selection of the sample of 90 health care workers. The Orebro questionnaire on musculoskeletal pain was used to collect information on the location and prevalence of MSD. The association between the individual variables and the prevalence of the disorder was examined by statistical analysis. The study confirmed that healthcare workers are at high risk of multiple sclerosis. The highest prevalence of musculo-skeletal disorders was 50 percent, and the lowest was 7 percent. Some disorders showed significant correlations with demographic variables (p<0.05): age and educational status were associated with lower back and arm disorders, and with education level with leg disorders. On the other hand, there was no apparent correlation between these factors and the upper back disorders. The results confirm the importance of personal factors in addition to work-related stress and are consistent with international research. Proactive ergonomic and behavioral interventions are urgently needed, as shown by the high prevalence of multiple sclerosis in the Pardis health network. The approval of the shortened version of the Commitment to Action scale for stretching was an important finding that underlined the importance of setting up reliable tools to support preventive stretching practices and successfully reducing the significant burden of MSD on healthcare professionals