Abstract
The musculoskeletal health of employees can affect an organization’s effectiveness. Also, the fatigue that an employee may experience can affect their productivity and morale on the job. Little research has been done to compare the relationship between musculoskeletal health and fatigue and its effect on workplace employees. PURPOSE: To compare musculoskeletal discomfort and employee demographics between those reporting low shift fatigue and those reporting moderate-high shift fatigue. METHODS: The subjects were University staff (N= 174, Age=46.2+13.3, Males = 53%). The questionnaire response rate was 55%. An ANOVA model was used to analyze the questionnaire. The questionnaire included variables of: gender, height, weight, shift fatigue, physical job demands, and musculoskeletal discomfort values. The fatigue and musculoskeletal scales ran from 0–5, with 0 being no fatigue/no discomfort and 5 being very fatigued/very uncomfortable. High fatigue (>3) and low fatigue (<2) groups were selected for comparison based on the end of shift fatigue. RESULTS: Those employees experiencing moderate-high fatigue (n=57) in comparison to those reporting low fatigue (n=117) have a higher body mass index (BMI) (30.5±8.4 vs. 26.4±4.6, p<0.01), higher fatigue in the first five minutes of work (1.0±1.5 vs. 0.3±0.9, p<0.001), and significantly (p<0.01) higher discomfort in all measured body parts. The body parts with the greatest difference between high and low fatigue were the upper back (2.3±1.8 vs. 0.8±1.1), legs (1.9±1.7 vs. 0.7±1.2), buttocks (1.7±1.7 vs. 0.6±1.1), neck (1.9±1.6 vs. 0.8±1.1), shoulders (2.0±1.8 vs. 0.8±1.2) and lower back (2.5±1.8 vs. 1.4±1.4). CONCLUSION: Based on the results, there is a relationship between body discomfort and fatigue at work. It appears that the upper back discomfort is most related to the change in fatigue over shift. More research is needed to determine if interventions that target musculoskeletal discomfort areas such as the upper back will reduce employee fatigue in an effort to improve morale, productivity and overall health.
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