Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDS) in the Administrative Staff of the National Iranian Gas Transmission Company-District 9 (NIGTC-D9)

MSDS have harmful effects on productivity and public health worldwide. These disorders are more common in the upper limbs, including the neck and lumbar, among administrative staff and computer users. The aim of this study was to assess musculoskeletal disorders.

This cross-sectional study was performed in 2020. All of the 256 administrative staff of the NIGTC-D9 were recruited in the study. The CMDQ was distributed among the candidates and the completed questionnaires were then reviewed. The information obtained from the questionnaires were entered in SPSS ver. 25 and the correlation and relationship between the demographic variables and the prevalence of discomfort in different organs of the body were determined. The data was also examined and evaluated by artificial intelligence (machine learning).

The distribution of sex between the subjects was 229 male and 27 female. The mean age and body mass index were 38.3±6.15 and 27.2±4.73, respectively. The highest score obtained in the questionnaire was 1023. The highest burden of discomfort was in the upper limbs and lumbar (11.85%) and the lowest in the right forearm (1.33%). A score above 367 was determined as a critical point by AI (machine learning).

The main areas affected by MSDS were the neck, followed by the lumbar region and the upper back. Considering the presence of MSDS in the examined candidates, control and preventive measures such as providing ‘back school’ training programs, promoting awareness among workers about appropriate work postures and designing ergonomic workstations (sitting/standing and standing) seems necessary.