Stress association with neck and shoulder pain among male taxi drivers in Shah Alam, Malaysia

Abstract

Background: Drivers are often involved in events that elevate their stress levels. Drivers also experience musculoskeletal pain. The association of psychological stress with neck and shoulder pain (NSP) among drivers is not well understood. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the stress associated with NSP among male taxi drivers in Shah Alam, Malaysia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the psychological stress associated with neck and shoulder pain among male taxi drivers aged 20 to 40 years old in Shah Alam, Malaysia. Data was collected using a self-modified questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic questions for section A, stress level questions for section B and neck and shoulder pain for section C. A total of 89 taxi drivers from Shah Alam, Malaysia were selected using convenience sampling.Results: A total of 95.5% of taxi drivers experienced stress, 95.5% experienced neck pain and 50.6% experienced shoulder pain. However, the result also indicated that stress did not have an association with neck pain (p=0.140) and shoulder pain (p=0.285) among male taxi drivers in Shah Alam, Malaysia.Conclusions: There is no association between psychological stress and neck-shoulder pain among male taxi drivers in Shah Alam, Malaysia.