Investigation of Ergonomic Status and Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Administrative Staff in a Military Center

Background and Aim: Awareness of the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic status of military personnel can be effective in designing preventive programs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the ergonomic status and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders of the administrative staff of a military center in Tehran province.
Methods: One hundred administrative staff with more than 8 years of experience were purposefully selected and available. The Nordic questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in different body organs and the QEC questionnaire was used to assess the ergonomic status in 40 workrooms. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests and SPSS software version 19 were used for data analysis at a significance level of 0.05.
Results: The highest prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was in the neck (57%), knees (56%), and wrist (52%), respectively, and there was a significant relationship between the three variables of age, work experience, and weight with musculoskeletal disorders (P<0.0001) was observed. Also, the majority of employees (44%) are at the level of ergonomic risk 4 (very high) with a QEC score of more than 70%, and the majority of employees with symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders, at least in one of the nine areas of the body (91%) ergonomic risk 4 (very high) have been on duty.
Conclusion: The administrative staff of military centers are working in inappropriate conditions and with a high risk of ergonomic level. Considering that the three variables of age, work experience, and weight play an important role in the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in administrative workers, screening programs and prescribing corrective exercise and exercise therapy should be done seriously and promptly.