An Investigation of the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Pain in Medical Staff in Three University Hospitals of Tehran, Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are among the most common work-related illnesses especially in medical personnel. Regarding the socioeconomic significance of this issue, it has been frequently studied worldwide. Many factors such as demographic and work-related factors are shown to be contributing to these disorders, but they vary in different countries and settings.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) pain in medical staff in 3 university hospitals in Tehran, Iran, in 2019. The questionnaire containing personal demographic data and also a modified version of the Nordic MSK Questionnaire (NMQ) was used; descriptive and analytic data processing (313 participants included) was performed via SPSS software.

Results: The data showed that MSK pain was highly prevalent in medical staff in university hospitals (67% in the last year); and the most common regions of pain were reported to be the lower back (45.0%), neck (38.3%), knee (34.5%), and shoulder (32.6%). Also, an association was revealed between MSK pain during the last week and the last year and also daily functional impairment due to MSK pain during the last year and the variables such as female gender, lack of routine weekly physical activity, educational degree of Bachelor of Science (BS), lack of job satisfaction, and the hospital of employment.

Conclusion: This study emphasizes the high prevalence and the socioeconomic significance of MSK symptoms in medical personnel, suggests providing more facilitation in the workplace, so that ergonomic principles could be applicable alongside educating the personnel on these preventive methods.