Musculoskeletal Disorders among Medical School Staff in an Urban Tertiary Care Academic Hospital in Thailand

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and explore related factors among medical school workers.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among workers at a medical school in Bangkok, Thailand (n = 152). Data were collected via online questionnaires, which gathered general information, sleep quality, working conditions, ergonomics, psychological factors, and the presence of MSDs. Sleep quality was measured using the Thai version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The prevalence of MSDs and psychological factors were measured using the standardized Nordic questionnaire for 12 body parts and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, respectively. The Chi-square test was utilized to evaluate the association between related factors and MSDs. Additionally, binary logistic regression was performed to examine the relationship among sleep quality, ergonomics, psychological factors, and specific body pain.RESULTS: Out of 152 workers, a significant majority (95.5% in females and 75.0% in males) reported experiencing MSDs in one or more body regions. The highest prevalence of MSDs was observed in the shoulder, with 74.3% reporting discomfort in the past seven days and 69.1% in the past 12 months. Nearly all participants reporting MSDs also experienced depression (97.0%) and anxiety (97.4%). Ergonomics (e.g., twisted postures and repetitive movements) and psychological factors (e.g., depression and anxiety) were significantly associated with the occurrence of MSDs. Repetitive movements (odds ratio (OR) = 2.50; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19-5.25), depression (OR = 3.39; 95% CI = 1.48-7.79), anxiety (OR = 4.22; 95% CI = 1.88-9.50), and stress (OR = 5.40; 95% CI = 1.97-14.81) were significantly linked to shoulder pain.CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of MSDs among medical school workers, with several individual, work-related, ergonomic, burnout-related, and psychological factors being key contributing factors. The findings suggest that both physical and psychological health should be addressed to prevent MSDs in this population.