Volume 10, Issue 3 (Summer 2021)                   J Occup Health Epidemiol 2021, 10(3): 183-192 | Back to browse issues page


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1- PhD Student in Occupational Health Engineering, Dept. of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
2- MSc in Ergonomics, Dept. of Occupational Health, School of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
3- BSc in Occupational Health Engineering, Dept. of Occupational Health and Safety at Work Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
4- MSc in Environmental Management (HSE), Dept. of Environmental Engineering, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
5- Assistant Prof., Workplace Health Promotion Research Center, Dept. of Occupational Health and Safety at Work, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. , asalehi529@gmail.com
Article history
Received: 2021/07/10
Accepted: 2021/10/3
ePublished: 2021/12/1
Abstract:   (1700 Views)

Background: The present study aims to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and occupational stress among workers of a factory in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on all workers of an engineering company (140 participants). The tools used in the present study included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) Questionnaire and the Body Map Questionnaire. The participants were asked to respond to the questions according to their physical and mental status after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were analyzed using SPSS V25.0.
Results: The most frequently reported musculoskeletal issues were related to the back (61.4%) and neck (53.6%) areas, while the lowest prevalence was related to elbows (17.9%). A significant correlation was found between the final scores obtained from the PSS-14 and Body Map Questionnaires for the neck (P = 0.026) and shoulder (P = 0.009) areas. Besides, a significant correlation was found between the participants' gender and pain in the neck (P = 0.005) and shoulder (P = 0.048) areas. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between marital status and pain in the pelvis (P = 0.034) and leg (P = 0.007) areas as well as the thigh and knee (P = 0.017) areas.
Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected various aspects of mental and physical health in occupational environments and has contributed to an increase in musculoskeletal pain and occupational stress levels. Thus, the adoption of effective strategies and the use of a comprehensive stress management program are suggested to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in occupational environments.

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