Factors Leading to Cervical Pain among Display Screen Equipment Operators; An Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Computer operators are more to develop pain in the cervical region. With a wide range of possible risk factors, that vary from person to person, this area requires continuous investigation. So that workplace can be modified to promote work safety. Objective: To estimate the association of different risk factors of neck pain among display screen equipment users in office settings. Methods: Using display screen equipment self-assessment questionnaire and musculoskeletal discomfort form, the data was gathered from offices in different cities of Pakistan. Office workers under 60 years who used a display screen for more than an hour each day were eligible to participate in the study. While those having any history of spinal deformities, cervical surgery, trauma or malignancy was excluded. For statistical computation and analysis, the data from 122 participants were recorded in SPSS version 21. The prevalence of neck pain and frequency distribution of variables were computed. The chi-square test was used to determine the correlation between the variables, and the p-value less than or equal to 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Neck pain was seen in 41.8% out of the 122 study participants. It was observed to affect the daily activities of 29.4% of the population, while 62.7% had experienced discomfort in the previous week. Neck pain was found to be substantially correlated with work fulfillment, stress and male gender. While among ergonomic factors it was linked to breaks from work, the height of the screen used, and computer hardware adjustability. Conclusion: Many office workers using display screen equipment report cervical pain. It is associated with both workplace and individual-level factors and such problems can be avoided by enhancing workplace ergonomics.