Musculoskeletal symptoms in support staff in a large telecommunication company

The primary objective of this study was to determine the extent and severity of the musculoskeletal problems in office workers in a telecommunication company.

A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders' symptoms, their perceived intensity and interaction with ability to work among office workers.

The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire and Cornell Hand Discomfort Questionnaire developed by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory at Cornell University were used on a sample of 140 office workers in a telecommunication company.

Discomfort/pain/ache at the wrist level was reported by 86.5% for the left side and 95.5% for the right side. Additionally, discomfort/pain/ache was reported by 77.5% of the sample for neck and 31% of the sample for the left and 50% for the right shoulder region. At the hand site, the area in the distal proximity of the wrist was the most affected site being indicated in 90% of cases for left side and 95% of cases for the right side.

An overview of problems associated with the body parts in office work may allow targeted prevention and intervention.