Musculoskeletal pain among school teachers are we underestimating its impact?

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a common occupational health condition which may significantly impact both work attendance and performance. School teachers represent an occupational group among which there appears to be a high prevalence of neck and/or shoulder pain (NSP) and low back pain (LBP). Epidemiological data on NSP and LBP in South African teachers are limited.Objectives: To determine the prevalence of NSP and LBP among primary school teachers in the Central Durban area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; to identify predominant occupational factors associated with NSP and LBP pain; and to highlight key actions associated with such factors so as to direct future preventive measures/interventions.Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted on teachers from 12 randomly selected primary schools.Results: Among the 97 completed questionnaires, the prevalence of NSP and LBP was 80.4% and 68.0%, respectively. There was no association between age and NSP (p < 0.250) or LBP (p < 0.595). However, there were higher prevalence rates of NSP and LBP among the 45-54 years age group (39.2% and 33.0%, respectively). Factors associated with NSP included marking of assessments (56.7%; n = 55), and writing on a blackboard (39.2%; n = 38); prolonged standing was associated with LBP (83.5%; n = 81). These findings highlighted specific actions, such as forward-bending of the head for prolonged periods (61.9%; n = 60), backward-bending of the head for prolonged periods (20.6%; n = 20), and reaching/stretching with arms above chest height (41.2%; n = 40). Conclusion: Key occupational factors associated with MSP, and associated actions identified in this study can be used as a basis to direct strategies that can be applied to reduce the prevalence of MSP and the onset of MSD in teachers

Musculoskeletal disorders among nurses in high acuity areas in a tertiary hospital in South Africa

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among nurses at a tertiary hospital in South Africa. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 125 nurses. The mean age of the nurses was 42 years. A high proportion of the nurses reported experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort and related disorders. Most (80.8) worked 12 hour shifts and 84 experienced some form of musculoskeletal discomfort (related to MSDs) in the past year. The lower back was the most commonly reported body site (58); followed by the shoulder (21); and neck (20). Logistic regression analysis showed that nurses working 12 hour shifts had an increased risk of MSD of 14.17 (OR= 14.17; 95 CI: 4.586; 43.766) when compared to those working 8 hours shifts. The number of working hours per shift needs to be reduced to prevent MSDs in nurses. One way of doing this is to increase nursing staff numbers