. Ehsanollah Habibi; . Shiva Soury
Volume 5, Issue 4 , August 2015, , Pages 1-7
Abstract
Background: Prevalence of work‑related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) is high amongcomputer users. The study investigates the effect of three ergonomic interventions on theincidence ...
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Background: Prevalence of work‑related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) is high amongcomputer users. The study investigates the effect of three ergonomic interventions on theincidence of musculoskeletal disorders among the staff of Isfahan Province Gas Company,including training, sport, and installation of software. Materials and Methods: The study wasperformed in the summer of 2013 on 75 (52 men, 23 women) Isfahan Province Gas Companyemployees in three phases (phase 1: Evaluation of present situation, phase 2: Performinginterventions, and phase 3: Re‑evaluation). Participants were divided into three groups (training,exercise, and software). The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and rapid upperlimb assessment (RULA) were used. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS software andMcNemar test, t‑test, and Chi‑square test. Results: Based on the evaluations, there was adecrease in musculoskeletal symptoms among the trained group participants after they receivedthe training. McNemar test showed that the lower rate of pain in low back, neck, knee, andwrist was significant (P < 0.05). The results obtained from the RULA method for evaluationof posture showed an average 25 points decrease in the right side of the body and 20 pointsdecrease in the left side of the body in the group subjected to training. Based on t‑test, thedecrease was significant. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that majority of the participantsaccepted interventions, which indicates that most of the people were unsatisfied with the worksettings and seeking improvement at the workplace. Overall, the findings show that training,chair adjustment, and arrangement in workplace could decrease musculoskeletal disorders.
