Impact of job stress on the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users of hospitals in Gorgan, Iran, in 2014

Background: Occupational stress has physical and psychological consequences, and is a major cause of job dissatisfaction among employees, which can reduce the quality of services provided. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between job stress and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among computer users in hospitals (private & governmental) of Gorgan, Iran, in 2014. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. The study participants consisted of 94 hospital computer users. Data were collected using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and Osipow’s Occupational Stress Inventory. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: The mean score of the subjects studied was 159±77.24. The results revealed that 6.38% of the staff had mild stress, 68.9% mild to moderate stress, 24.47% had moderate to high stress, and none of the employees had high occupational stress. There was no significant relationship between job stress and MSDs of the neck, shoulders, back, elbows, and hands and wrists, but the relationship between stress and MSDs of the waist was significant (P=0.03). Conclusions: The prevalence of MSDs in the studied hospital computer users was high and stress in the workplace can have an important role in the pathogenesis of this disorder.