Musculoskeletal disorders and the affecting factors among teachers: An example from Turkey

Musculoskeletal disorders are important health problems due to their high incidence as well as their effects on the society and individuals.

The aim of this study was to determine the musculoskeletal disorders experienced by teachers, and to evaluate their relationship with certain factors causing musculoskeletal disorders.

The cross-sectional study was carried out on 416 teachers working in a provincial center using the face-to-face interview method.

Per this 64.9% of the teachers had musculoskeletal disorders, and the pain was mostly localized in the neck region with 55.5%. The work stress scores of the teachers were found to have a positive and significant correlation with musculoskeletal disorder scores and a negative significant correlation with the satisfaction with life scores (p≤0.001). In multiple regression analysis, the time spent sitting at a desk, time spent working in a standing position, time devoted to housework, shoe preference, work stress and life satisfaction were determined as effective predictors on musculoskeletal complaints. The model that was developed explained 22.5% of the variance (R2 = 22.5; p≤0.001).

Due to the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among teachers, health-promoting actions are needed in order to raise the awareness of both administrators and teachers in improving working conditions as well as preventing musculoskeletal disorders.