[Pain and cervical disability among public workers who use data visualization display terminals]

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Ergonomics
• Musculoskeletal Disorders

Background:

• Work-related neck and shoulder disorders are a significant public health concern.
• Visual display terminals (VDTs) are widely used in modern workplaces, contributing to occupational health issues.
• Understanding the patterns and predictors of cervical pain in VDT users is crucial for prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify pain and cervical disability patterns in workers using VDTs.
• To determine the primary factors influencing the onset of new cervical pain episodes.
• To establish a predictive model for cervical pain in this occupational group.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, correlational study was conducted with 88 Ministry of Health (Xunta de Galicia) workers who use VDTs.
• Data collection included the Neck Disability Index Scale, Visual Analog Scale, 12-item Short Form Health Survey, and postural analysis.
• Statistical analyses comprised Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and binary logistic regression.

Main Results:

• 58% of VDT workers reported experiencing cervical pain.
• No significant gender differences were observed in pain prevalence.
• High levels of cervical disability and low physical quality of life were the strongest predictors of new cervical pain episodes.

Conclusions:

• Workers using VDTs with substantial cervical disability and diminished physical quality of life face a higher risk of developing neck pain.
• Cervical disability and physical quality of life are key indicators for predicting new episodes of occupational neck pain.
• Targeted interventions focusing on reducing disability and improving physical well-being may mitigate the incidence of neck pain in VDT users.