Investigating the relationship between work ability and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders during covid-19 Pandemic in Saveh comprehensive urban and rural health service centers staff in 2021

Background and Objectives: Health workers are at the frontline of the fight against Coronavirus. During the Corona Pandemic, these jobs, which had a lot of referrals, were under high work pressure, which can increase the chances of suffering from musculoskeletal disorders and affect their workability. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between work ability and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in Saveh's comprehensive urban and rural health service centers staff during the Corona Pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 197 employees of comprehensive urban and rural health service centers in Saveh city were randomly selected. The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and work ability were evaluated by the developed Nordic questionnaire and WAI (Work Ability Index), respectively. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 24 software and Pearson correlation coefficient tests and two-way logistic regression. Results:The average working ability of employees was equal to 34.86±7.61. The most common areas involved in musculoskeletal disorders were the back (63%), neck (30%) and knees (17.8%) with the frequency of 125, 63 and 39 people, respectively. The index of working ability on musculoskeletal disorders in hip and thigh, hand and wrist, neck and back areas was significant (p-value ≤ 0.05). Also, the higher the history of corona infection, the lower the work ability (P-value=0.001). Conclusion: During the outbreak of Corona, the working ability of employees is average. Considering the effect of work ability on the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, it is suggested that during the covid-19 epidemic, the identification of factors affecting the reduction of work ability and the implementation of ergonomic interventions should be prioritized.