Musculoskeletal disorders among video display terminal (VDT) workers comparing with other office workers

Background and aimsScientific and industrial development has led to increased production,which has been associated with different complications, including occupational stress, and increased incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Musculoskeletal disorders arefrequent causes of absenteeism in developed countries. We designed this study to assess musculoskeletal disorders and occupational stress among video display terminal (VDT) workers in comparison with other office workers.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study on 72 VDT workers (case) and 145 office workers (control). In this study we used Nordic and Osipow questionnaires in order to evaluate musculoskeletal disorders and job stress, respectively. The questionnaires were filled by direct interview. T test, chi square, Fisher test and logistic regression were used for data analysis.ResultsThe frequency of musculoskeletal disorders among VDT users in the last 12 months was 46.5%, 20.3%, 5.1%, 12.4% and 57.6% in neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and low back areas, respectively. The frequency of musculoskeletal complaints in neck, shoulder and wrist and mean score of occupational stress was significantly higher in the case group comparing with control group, and both results were statistically significant.ConclusionVDT working is a high-risk job for musculoskeletal disorders. In this study the frequency of musculoskeletal disorders, especially in high-risk regions for this job, was higher in VDTworkers than other office workers. We recommend to perform other studies in order to find non-ergonomic points and postures in these persons.