Musculoskeletal discomfort and associated factors in hospital orderlies of A university hospital; Bursa

The aim of this cross-sectional study is to determine the frequency and severity of musculoskeletal discomforts and the factors that may be associated with these discomforts in hospital orderlies who are working in a university hospital. The study included 273 hospital orderlies who are working at Bursa Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine Health Practice and Research Center Hospital. The sample was not selected. The questionnaire consisting of 50 questions and Turkish Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire was applied by face to face interview method. 247 people participated in the study (90.5%). 78.1% (n=193) of the participants are male. 76.9% (n=190) of the participants stated that they experienced pain, aches and discomfort in any region during the last week in T-CMDQ. The most commonly affected body areas are the lower back (47.4% n=117), right foot (45.7% n=113) and left foot (49.0% n=121). Lower back, right and left foot complaints are significantly more common in those who feel under more stress (often, always) in the working environment. In addition, these participants had a higher mean total weighted score (TWS). Lower back, right and left foot complaints are significantly more common among hospital orderlies who perceive their health as very bad, bad and the mean of TWS was found to be higher. Among the hospital orderlies who thought their complaints were related to work, the frequency of lower back complaints was found to be significantly higher and the mean TWS was found to be higher in these group. For lower back complaints feeling under stress in the working environment, history of surgery and trauma/accident; for right foot complaints gender, income status and feeling under stress in the working environment; for left foot complaints gender, income status, presence of chronic disease, BMI and working time as a hospital orderly were found to be independent risk factors.