Musculoskeletal Disorders among a Sample of Iranian office Workers in Khoi Health Center: a Descriptive Study from Khoi, Iran

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are among the most prevalent health problems and one of the causes of occupational disability in administrative professions. This study aimed to describe the rate of skeletal disorders among Office Workers (OWs) in Khoi Health Center.

Method and Materials: 

In this descriptive study using convenience sampling, 100 OWs patients were selected from the Khoi Health Center under the supervision of the Khoi Faculty member of Medical Sciences. Data were collected through a demographic questionnaire in which questions were related to various MSDs, The Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale and Roland – Morris Disability Questionnaire were raised. Data were  entered into SPSS 19 software and analyzed using descriptive analysis.

In total, 100 OWs participated in the study and answered the questions (100% response rate). Back pain and neck pain were the most common complaint areas of the participants, respectively (83%). Twenty participants (20%) of OWs stated that they did not pursue any pain treatment or pain management. Also, the majority of participants (N=100, 100%) believed that they have pain in different parts of the body. However, 85 participants (85%) stated that they frequently change their position to keep their back comfortable. However, the mean expression of pain by the participants was moderate, and 85 participants (85%) stated that they had difficulty sitting in a chair for several hours.

This study showed that most of the studied OWs suffered from some kind of chronic skeletal disorders without any treatment/pain management. Therefore, it is highly recommended to conduct further studies to confirm these results in this special target group who work in the Khoi health center and investigate the causes of pain.