Musculoskeletal impact of hybrid work in Indian IT professionals: A cross-sectional study

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a shift to work-from-home (WFH) across the information technology (IT) sector, often without adequate ergonomic workstations, raising concerns about musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) from prolonged sedentary postures. This study assessed MSD prevalence among IT professionals in Pune, India, and its associations with work hours, ergonomic setup, sleep, and exercise.

We conducted a cross-sectional study among IT professionals at selected software companies in Pune, India (May-September 2022), following STROBE guidelines. An online questionnaire (Google Forms) was completed by 280 employees; 214 (76.4%) also underwent on-site physical examination and formed the final analytic sample. Participants aged 18-60 years gave written informed consent; those with prior musculoskeletal surgery or autoimmune disorders were excluded. Examination included BMI and the Straight Leg Raise (SLR) test. Chi-square tests and Pearson correlations were analysed using SPSS v26.0.

Most participants were male (86.9%), mean age 45.16 years. Current MSD pain affected 54.2% (95% CI 47.5-60.9%), predominantly lower back (68.2%; 95% CI 60.1-75.4%) and neck (41.4%). Chronic pain (>1 year) was present in 52.3%, and 40.2% reported worsening since the pandemic. Daily working hours was the only significant predictor (chi-square = 9.379, df = 3, p = 0.025); those working 12-14 h/day had the highest prevalence (63.3%). Ergonomic-setup absence, sleep <6 h, exercise, age, and BMI were not significantly associated, though sleep approached significance (p = 0.056). The SLR test was positive in 29.0%.

MSDs are prevalent among hybrid-era IT professionals in Pune, where extended working hours was the sole significant predictor; ergonomic deficiency and short sleep showed non-significant trends. Reducing daily work hours and improving home-workstation ergonomics are the most evidence-supported intervention targets.