Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and their impact on health-related quality of life among Punjabi bank employees: A cross-sectional study

The aim of the study were to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) among bank employees in Punjab, India, assess the influence of occupational factors on HRQoL, and inves- tigate the association between MSDs and demographic variables. The crodd-sectional study was conducted in Punjab, India (May 2023 to March 2024), surveyd n=744 Bank Employees, using Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders (NMD) and SF-36 HRQoL Questionnaires for evaluating prevalence of MSDs and their effects on HRQoL. The prevalence of MSD was substantially correlated with age > 35, female gender, BMI > 25, employment duration > 10 years, and work hours > 8 hours per day. The degree of MSD was associated with bad posture (r = 0.52, p = 0.001) and longer working hours (r = 0.41, p = 0.004). A logistic regression analysis showed that greater BMI (1.95x) and longer work hours (2.05x) were associated with increased risk. Among work-related disabilities, lower back pain accounts for the largest number (47.5%). The severity of MSDs was found to be correlated in this study with extended work hours and bad posture, which resulted in lower back discomfort as a job-related impairment. According to this study, workplace adjustments are necessary to improve banking workers’ HRQoL