Farzaneh Kermani1, Marzieh Poshtvan2, Sanaz Doostmohammadi2, Mohammad Reza Nasiri2, Amirhossein Mirzahosseini2, Mina sadat Mirshoja *3
1- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran & Department of Health Information Technology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
2- Student Research Committee, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
3- Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Research Center, Neuroscience Research Institute, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran & Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. ,msj5831@yahoo.com
2- Student Research Committee, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
3- Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Research Center, Neuroscience Research Institute, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran & Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. ,
Abstract: (33 Views)
Objective: Musculoskeletal symptoms and pains are critical occupational issues affecting quality of life and disability. This study determined the prevalence of these symptoms and their association with fatigue and job satisfaction among employees at Semnan University of Medical Sciences.
Material and Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study included all administrative staff in 2025. Stratified random sampling with proportional allocation was applied. Based on Cochran's formula (design effect=2, attrition=20%), 140 individuals were estimated; finally, 125 complete questionnaires were analyzed. Instruments included demographic form, standardized Nordic questionnaire (9 body regions), Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and MFI-20 fatigue scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS-26 with Kolmogorov-Smirnov, chi-square, Pearson, and Spearman tests. Significance level was set at 0.05.
Results: Among 125 employees (60.8% female), mean age was 41.18 years and mean work experience 13.39 years. Mean BMI was 28.06 (overweight range). Weekly computer work hours (40.33 hrs.) were significantly higher than non-computer tasks (21.19 hrs.), ratio 1.6:1. Overall prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms was 30.6%. The most prevalent sites were neck (41.6%, p=0.001), shoulders (37.6%, p=0.004), and low back/buttocks (34.4%). Neck and shoulder pain were significantly more frequent in women than men (52.6% vs. 24.5% for neck; 47.4% vs. 22.4% for shoulders). Smoking was significantly associated with thigh pain (p=0.028). Linear trend test revealed a significant positive linear relationship between increased stress and shoulder/upper back pain. A significant positive correlation was observed between fatigue and ankle pain (p=0.041, Spearman's rho=0.189). Moreover, a significant negative correlation was found between fatigue and job satisfaction, indicating that higher fatigue was linked to lower satisfaction.
Conclusion: Musculoskeletal symptoms show moderate prevalence among administrative staff, with neck, shoulders, and low back being the most common sites. Various individual (female gender, overweight), behavioral (prolonged computer use, smoking), and psychosocial factors (perceived stress) each contributed to increased pain in specific regions. Fatigue was associated with reduced job satisfaction and increased ankle pain. These findings provide local evidence for human resource managers and occupational health professionals to design targeted ergonomic interventions (optimizing workstations), stress management programs, and corrective exercise schemes to reduce fatigue, enhance job satisfaction, and promote physical and mental health among employees.
Material and Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study included all administrative staff in 2025. Stratified random sampling with proportional allocation was applied. Based on Cochran's formula (design effect=2, attrition=20%), 140 individuals were estimated; finally, 125 complete questionnaires were analyzed. Instruments included demographic form, standardized Nordic questionnaire (9 body regions), Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and MFI-20 fatigue scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS-26 with Kolmogorov-Smirnov, chi-square, Pearson, and Spearman tests. Significance level was set at 0.05.
Results: Among 125 employees (60.8% female), mean age was 41.18 years and mean work experience 13.39 years. Mean BMI was 28.06 (overweight range). Weekly computer work hours (40.33 hrs.) were significantly higher than non-computer tasks (21.19 hrs.), ratio 1.6:1. Overall prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms was 30.6%. The most prevalent sites were neck (41.6%, p=0.001), shoulders (37.6%, p=0.004), and low back/buttocks (34.4%). Neck and shoulder pain were significantly more frequent in women than men (52.6% vs. 24.5% for neck; 47.4% vs. 22.4% for shoulders). Smoking was significantly associated with thigh pain (p=0.028). Linear trend test revealed a significant positive linear relationship between increased stress and shoulder/upper back pain. A significant positive correlation was observed between fatigue and ankle pain (p=0.041, Spearman's rho=0.189). Moreover, a significant negative correlation was found between fatigue and job satisfaction, indicating that higher fatigue was linked to lower satisfaction.
Conclusion: Musculoskeletal symptoms show moderate prevalence among administrative staff, with neck, shoulders, and low back being the most common sites. Various individual (female gender, overweight), behavioral (prolonged computer use, smoking), and psychosocial factors (perceived stress) each contributed to increased pain in specific regions. Fatigue was associated with reduced job satisfaction and increased ankle pain. These findings provide local evidence for human resource managers and occupational health professionals to design targeted ergonomic interventions (optimizing workstations), stress management programs, and corrective exercise schemes to reduce fatigue, enhance job satisfaction, and promote physical and mental health among employees.
Type of Study: Applicable |
Subject:
Occupational Therapy
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This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC-By-NC 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
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