Prevalence of Work-related Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Their Associations with Job Stress in Female Caregivers Living in South Korea.

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to assess the work-related musculoskeletal system symptoms and the extent of job stress in female caregivers, as well as the interrelationship between these factors. [Subjects and Methods] Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) Code H-43 of the Guidelines for the Examination of Elements Harmful to the Musculoskeletal System was used as a tool to measure musculoskeletal symptoms. Caregiver job stress was assessed from the Korean Occupational Stress Scale short form. [Results] The level of symptoms in the hand/wrist/finger and leg/foot regions had some relation to job stress. Job stress scores were mainly shown to be high when pain was reported. On the other hand, it was shown that the degree of musculoskeletal symptoms by body part was unrelated to conflicts in relationships, job instability, or workplace culture. [Conclusion] As for the correlations between musculoskeletal symptoms and job stress, it was shown that as job requirements increased, most musculoskeletal symptoms also increased.