Musculoskeletal symptoms in support staff in a large telecommunication company

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Fagarasanu, Mircea | Kumar, Shrawan

Affiliations: City of Edmonton, Corporate Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5J 3A3 | Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada, T6G 2G4

Note: [] Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 780 492 5979; Fax: +1 780 492 4429; E-mail: shrawan.kumar@ualberta.ca

Abstract: Primary objective: The primary objective of this study was to determine the extent and severity of the musculoskeletal problems in office workers in a telecommunication company. Research design: A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders' symptoms, their perceived intensity and interaction with ability to work among office workers. Methods and procedures: The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire and Cornell Hand Discomfort Questionnaire developed by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory at Cornell University were used on a sample of 140 office workers in a telecommunication company. Main outcomes and results: Discomfort/pain/ache at the wrist level was reported by 86.5% for the left side and 95.5% for the right side. Additionally, discomfort/pain/ache was reported by 77.5% of the sample for neck and 31% of the sample for the left and 50% for the right shoulder region. At the hand site, the area in the distal proximity of the wrist was the most affected site being indicated in 90% of cases for left side and 95% of cases for the right side. Conclusions: An overview of problems associated with the body parts in office work may allow targeted prevention and intervention.

Keywords: Office work, musculoskeletal symptoms, upper extremity, survey

Journal: Work, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 137-142, 2006