Publication | Closed Access
Musculoskeletal disorders among visual display terminal workers: individual, ergonomic, and work organizational factors
419
Citations
0
References
1995
Year
The study investigated individual, ergonomic, and organizational factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders among 260 visual display terminal workers. A cross‑sectional design combined medical examinations, workplace assessments, and questionnaires, with multivariate analysis to identify key risk factors. Key risk factors were individual characteristics (age, gender, parental status, vision correction, smoking, gastrointestinal stress, negative affectivity), organizational aspects (flexible rest breaks, high peer contact, task flexibility, overtime), and ergonomic factors (static posture, hand position, lower‑arm support, repetitive movements, keyboard/VDT vertical position). Keywords: musculoskeletal disorders, visual display terminals, individual factors, work organization, ergonomic factors.
Abstract A number of individual, ergonomic, and organizational factors of presumed importance for the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders were investigated in a group of 260 visual display terminal (VDT) workers. The cross-sectional study utilized medical and workplace investigations as well as questionnaires. The results were subjected to a multivariate analysis in order to find the major factors associated with various upper-body muscular problems. Several such factors were identified for each investigated type of musculoskeletal problem. Some were related to the individual: age, gender, woman with children at home, use of spectacles, smoking, stomach-related stress reactions, and negative affectivity. Organizational variables of importance were opportunities for flexible rest breaks, extreme peer contacts, task flexibility, and overtime. Identified ergonomic variables were static work posture, hand position, use of lower arm support, repeated work movements, and keyboard or VDT vertical position. Keywords: Musculoskeletal disordersVisual display terminalsIndividual factorsWork organizationErgonomic factors Additional informationNotes on contributorsB. NILSSON Currently at SAAB-SCANIA, P O Box 603, S-151 27 Södertälje, Sweden