Work-Related Musculoskeletal Pain in Hospital Employees

Abstract

Aim: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are common health problems in the community. They lead to various levels of pain, loss of function, and deterioration in quality of life. Our aim is to evaluate work-related musculoskeletal pain in hospital employees and factors that could prevent this problem. Material and Method: Female and male hospital employees working in different departments of our hospital participated in the study. Demographic data, work and working environment, ergonomic training, and musculoskeletal pain were queried. The severity of pain in those experiencing it was assessed using the visual analog scale and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Results: A total of 275 individuals participated in the study. 72.4% of the participants were female and 27.6% were male. 79.3% of the participants reported musculoskeletal pain. Pain was most commonly (71.3%) observed in the 35-54 age group and was of moderate severity. According to the frequency of pain, it was most common in the back (61.5%), followed by the lower back (55.6%) and neck (53.5%) regions. The presence and severity of pain were more pronounced in females (p<0.05). There was a statistically significant relationship between the presence of pain and female gender (p=0.003, r=0.179). Pain severity was higher in females (p<0.001, r=0.226). 69.8% of healthcare workers reported that ergonomic arrangements were not made in the hospital, and 81.4% reported not receiving training in ergonomics. Conclusion: Work-related musculoskeletal pain was highly prevalent among hospital healthcare workers, and it was found that healthcare workers did not receive ergonomic arrangements in their work environments or education on protecting the musculoskeletal system. Inference: We believe that making ergonomic adjustments in the work environments of hospital employees, providing education on musculoskeletal system protection, and integrating these into the quality system would be important.