Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal pain among programmers and the associated ergonomic risk factors: Cross-sectional and case studies

Background: Ergonomics is the adaptation of the work and workplace to the worker by designing tasks within the workers capabilities and limitations to increase worker efficiency and decrease injuries.Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal pain (WMSP) by region in programmers. As well, this study presented a case with WMSP and the associated factors. Methods: A survey was posted on a large Facebook group of programmers (Million Egyptian programmers) containing questions about presence of pain and the region. The prevalence of pain was calculated by region. Then, a case with pain was described including clinical assessment and the associated risk factors.Results: 378 programmers responded to the survey; out of them, 232 programmers had neck pain (61.4%).Conclusion: WMSP is prevalent among programmers especially neck pain. There are several risk factors that might be associated with this pain including poor posture, poor workstation setup, and poor movement technique. Several solutions to these risks were provided and recommended by the authors.