MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AMONG ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES STUDENTS DURING ONLINE LEARNING IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC (CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY)

Abstract

Background and Aims: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the mode of education changed to online with the help of laptops and mobiles. The aim of this was to find out the prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and its severity in students during online learning and the effect of that pain on activities of daily living (ADLs). To find out which regions of the body were more prone to musculoskeletal overload and to spread awareness of ergonomic approaches in device usage. Methodology: 249 Health Sciences students participated in the study. Informed consent was taken. The prevalence of MSK pain was found out with the help of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ) and the Visual analogue scale (VAS). Result: In our study out of 249 health sciences students, 227 (91.2%) were suffering from musculoskeletal pain. The most affected areas were the neck, lower back, and shoulder. 87(34.9%) had no difficulty carrying out ADLs due to MSK pain. Mean VAS was 4.85±2.63. Neck area 140 (56.2%) was the most commonly affected, followed by lower back 126 (50.6%). Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain during online education, but a few students experienced difficulty in carrying out ADLs due to MSK pain.