Online self-report questionnaire on computer work-related exposure (OSCWE): validity and internal consistency

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Ergonomics
• Survey methodology

Background:

• Musculoskeletal disorders are a significant concern for computer users.
• Existing tools for assessing computer work-related exposure may be limited.
• A validated, online self-report questionnaire is needed to identify risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an online, self-report questionnaire on computer work-related exposure (OSCWE).
• To determine the internal consistency, face validity, and content validity of the OSCWE.
• To assess the questionnaire's suitability for population-based surveys.

Main Methods:

• The OSCWE was designed with five domains: personal, work-related, work environment, physical health, and psychosocial factors.
• Content validation was performed by an occupational medical doctor and physical therapy lecturers.
• Feasibility and user-friendliness were assessed by 25 lay users.
• Internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha.

Main Results:

• The questionnaire's content was deemed appropriate for its intended purpose.
• 835 computer users participated in the online survey.
• Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) varied across domains: personal (0.58), work-related (0.348), work environment (0.72), physical health (0.68), and psychosocial factors (0.93).

Conclusions:

• The OSCWE demonstrates acceptable internal consistency for the work environment and psychosocial factors domains.
• The OSCWE is a viable tool for population-based survey research involving computer office workers.
• Further validation may be beneficial for other domains.