RESUMO
Nowadays, prolonged exposure to awkward and inappropriate posture is supposed to be one of the main causes of musculoskeletal disorders among workers and operators round the world. Such exposure also causes upper limb disorders, chronic backache and increases the risk of accidents. According to previous texts and statistics published by international organizations. musculoskeletal disorders are of main causes of work force debilitation, work days loss and decreasing system efficiency. Driving, has always been among the most exhausting, repetitive and mundane jobs in the world. In this study, we specifically assessed the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among city bus drivers in Isfahan. Bus drivers, as their job usually entails, are exposed to risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders such as vibration, inappropriate seat [not ergonomic], a worked posture and long hours of sitting [sedentary work] This was a randomized cress-sectional study among 178 drivers. The study was carried out in two times, in the morning [bigining of work day], after evening [end of work day] successively. The data were gathered using a questionnaire by an occupational health expert. The data include: type of vehicle, personal information of the driver, job record. the drivers past medical history [general, congenital, previous occupational diseases, etc], general specifications of the seat used, and finally the result of musculoskeletal disorders assessment using the Nordic questionnaire. Drivers were asked during their breaks. The general observation of the job was considered as well. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. The most common compilations observed, included: pain and discomfort in lowerback, shoulders, knees and upper back with the frequency of 130, 115, 112, 91, 80 respectively. Dependent variables like weekly work hours, work years, and inappropriate seats had direct increasing effect on complications rates. Data processing proved significant musculoskeletal discomfort prevalence among drivers working overtime, who are over weighted or mainly taller than the others and these who have got longer work records or were using inappropriate seats. According to the study findings musculoskeletal discomfort prevalence was higher in drivers who; worked overtime, were overweighted, were taller, with longer work records, and using inappropriate seats