Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among public municipal elementary school teachers in Cuiabá, Brazil

The demands and conditions of work can lead to development of a range of health conditions, including repetitive stress injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

To assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and the working conditions of primary school teachers working for the public municipal education system in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with teachers working for the public municipal education system in the capital of Mato Grosso state. The sample comprised 326 teachers. Data were collected using the Vocal Production Condition - Teacher instrument and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire.

The mean age of the sample was 43.01 years and teachers were predominantly female (87.12%), were married or in a stable relationship (62.70%), had postgraduate qualifications (73.93%), worked at one school only (58.95%), and stated that the pace of their working routine was sometimes stressful (59.01%), that they always took work home with them (57.45%), and that there was sometimes stress at work (54.92%), and reported presence of musculoskeletal symptoms during the last 12 months (76.74%).

The highest prevalence rates of musculoskeletal symptoms were observed among married women, those with postgraduate qualifications, those who worked at one school only, and those who had a stressful working routine. It was therefore concluded that mapping working conditions could provide a foundation for reducing the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms and improving the health of this population.