Adverse workstyle and its correlation with other ergonomic risk factors in work related musculoskeletal disorders

Abstract

Workstyle has been reported as a mediating factor in the relation between job demands and Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSD). A retrospective report analysis of 9500 IT professionals in an Industrially Developing Country was conducted. The participants’ data was extracted from the database from 2006 to 2017. The average age of participants was 32.4 ± 9.2 years and 78% of respondents were males. 68% of participants worked between 8 to 12 h on a computer and 55% used a desktop computer. Neck and upper back pain were the more prevalent, followed by wrist, lower back and shoulder pain. 28% of participants were reported to have a high risk of an adverse workstyle (score ≥28). Lack of breaks, deadlines/pressure and social reactivity subscales of workstyle questionnaire were the highest predictors of pain and loss of productivity. Regression analyses revealed that workstyle factors and duration of computer use per day were significant predictors of pain.