Integrative risk mapping of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers: a hybrid Delphi-Fuzzy AHP approach

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain a major occupational health concern among office workers due to the combined effects of ergonomic, biomechanical, psychosocial, organizational, environmental, and individual factors.This study aimed to investigate and prioritize key risk factors contributing to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among office workers using a structured Delphi-FAHP approach. In the first stage, a structured non-systematic literature review was conducted to identify an initial pool of risk factors. These factors were then refined and validated through a two-round Delphi process involving experts in occupational health and ergonomics. In the final stage, FAHP was applied to determine the relative weights of the main domains and sub-factors. A total of 42 risk factors were identified and categorized into six main domains.The results showed that ergonomic/workstation factors had the highest relative weight (0.223), followed by physical/biomechanical (0.195), psychosocial (0.195), organizational (0.190), environmental (0.145), and individual factors (0.050). At the sub-factor level, awkward postures (0.42), job stress (0.39), working hours and scheduling (0.38), and monitor-related factors (0.37) were identified as the most influential contributors to MSD risk.These findings emphasize the dominant role of workstation design and postural factors, while also focusing on the significant contribution of psychosocial and organizational dimensions. These findings provide a prioritized understanding of MSD risk factors in office environments, which can support more targeted ergonomic interventions and informed decision-making.