The examination of work-related musculoskeletal discomforts and risk factors in veterinarians

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the frequency of work-related musculoskeletal discomforts (WMSDs) observed in veterinarians and the risk factors that may bring about these. Two hundred and seven veterinarians working in three provinces in south west Turkey were included in the study. The demographic and occupational information on the participants was recorded. The Modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to evaluate the musculoskeletal problems of different body parts, which cause difficulties at work and result in staying away from work. 49.8 % of veterinarians mostly have problems with lower back, 41.1 % with back, and 39.1 % with neck. The frequency of WMSDs tends to increase with the progress of professional experience. Three work-related activities during which veterinarians experience most difficulties while at work are obstetric procedures (28 %), vaccination (25.6 %), and driving (23.2 %). It is statistically significant that arm problems are observed more in veterinarians working with large animal types (p<0.05). The high level of job related stress and low job satisfaction statistically significantly affect the formation of WMSDs (p<0.05). The study showed that a large number of veterinarians experienced work-related musculoskeletal pain and discomforts that could be caused by some physical and psychosocial risk factors. Therefore, it is recommended for veterinarians to receive education on ergonomics and exercise from the beginning of their professional lives to prevent WMSDs. KEY WORDS: ergonomics; job related stress; lower back; neck; prevalenceApproximately 30 % of all musculoskeletal discomforts detected in the world occur due to work-related reasons (1). Work-related musculoskeletal discomforts (WMSDs) account for approximately 34 % of work day losses caused by all occupational diseases and occupational accidents, and the cost of compensation caused by these is almost 15-20 billion dollars annually (1).WMSDs are commonly observed in the neck, upper extremities, and back regions (2). Physical and psychosocial risk factors such as repeated movements, excessive use of power, lifting heavy things, working in a bad and/or fixed posture, vibration, sitting or standing for a long time, job stress, job dissatisfaction, monotonous work, insufficient break times, and working with time constraints affect the formation of WMSDs (1, 3-5).Studies conducted in many countries have revealed that musculoskeletal discomforts are an important problem among healthcare professionals (6). Work-related injuries occur more frequently in veterinarians when compared to other healthcare professionals (7). It is stated that WMSDs occur at rates as high as 49-96 % in veterinarians (7, 8) and the problems are experienced mostly in the neck, shoulder, and low back regions (9). Veterinary medicine is a profession requiring strength and entailing a high risk of injury (10-12). Some physical and psychological risk factors such as a static or bad posture, repetitive work or work requiring excessive strength, standing f...

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