Musculoskeletal disorders amongst undergraduate engineering students at Kuwait University

Over the past decade, human factors research has seen a significant surge in the discussion of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), particularly in educational contexts among undergraduate students. While prior research examined musculoskeletal disorders' prevalence among undergraduate students globally, little is known about the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among undergraduate students in Kuwait and the role of different risk factors in the development of MSDs. Thus, the main goal of this study was to establish a baseline prevalence of MSDs and the student-related risk factors associated with the discomfort intensity and frequency of severe MSDs’ body parts among undergraduate students at Kuwait University. In order to achieve this objective, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 373 engineering students, where the prevalence of MSDs was assessed using the Student Specific Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (SS-CMSQ). Ordinal logistic regression was employed with a significance level of 0.05. The main findings from this study highlighted that MSDs occurred most in the neck (80.7 %), lower back (71.3 %) and upper back (64.6 %) regions. The risk factors associated with the frequency and intensity of musculoskeletal discomfort include being female, taller height, higher BMI levels, extended academic activity duration, being in a higher academic year, and experiencing sleeplessness. This study provides a fundamental comprehension of MSDs' prevalence and shows the significance of numerous risk factors, revealing the path for future research aimed at lowering MSDs' prevalence amongst engineering students in Kuwait.