Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Occupational Stress among Workers of an Engineering Company in Iran during the Covid-19 Pandemic, 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The present study aims to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and occupational stress among workers of a factory in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on all workers of an engineering company (140 participants). The tools used in the present study included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) Questionnaire and the Body Map Questionnaire. The participants were asked to respond to the questions according to their physical and mental status after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were analyzed using SPSS V25.0. Results: The most frequently reported musculoskeletal issues were related to the back (61.4%) and neck (53.6%) areas, while the lowest prevalence was related to elbows (17.9%). A significant correlation was found between the final scores obtained from the PSS-14 and Body Map Questionnaires for the neck (P = 0.026) and shoulder (P = 0.009) areas. Besides, a significant correlation was found between the participants' gender and pain in the neck (P = 0.005) and shoulder (P = 0.048) areas. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between marital status and pain in the pelvis (P = 0.034) and leg (P = 0.007) areas as well as the thigh and knee (P = 0.017) areas. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected various aspects of mental and physical health in occupational environments and has contributed to an increase in musculoskeletal pain and occupational stress levels. Thus, the adoption of effective strategies and the use of a comprehensive stress management program are suggested to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in occupational environments.