Frequency of Musculoskeletal Discomfort among Software Engineers working in Information Technology Companies

Filza  Sohail; Haseeb Shah; Burhan Rabi; Iqra Imtiaz; Naveed  Ahmad; Zoya Mehmood

doi:10.51253/pafmj.v76iSUPPL-5.12540

Authors

Filza Sohail Department of Physical Therapy, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad Pakistan
Haseeb Shah Department of Physical Therapy, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad Pakistan
Burhan Rabi Department of Physical Therapy, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad Pakistan
Iqra Imtiaz Department of Physical Therapy, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad Pakistan
Naveed Ahmad Department of Physical Therapy, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad Pakistan
Zoya Mehmood Department of Physical Therapy, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51253/pafmj.v76iSUPPL-5.12540

Keywords:

Ergonomic, Injury, Musculoskeletal, Pain, Software

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency and most affected body region of musculoskeletal discomfort among software engineers working in IT companies.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Different IT companies in Islamabad, Pakistan from Aug 2020 to Feb 2021.

Methodology: The study was conducted on 105 software engineers working in different IT companies in Islamabad. The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire was used to determine the most common areas of discomfort. The sampling technique used in the study was non-probability convenient sampling. The inclusion criteria was software engineers of either gender, age range 22 to 40 years with a total of 40 working hours per week and working for more than 6 months in the company. Whereas participants already diagnosed with musculoskeletal discomfort or history of musculoskeletal trauma, injury or systemic illness were excluded from the study.

Results: Out of total 105 participants 86(81.90%) were males and 19(18.10%) were females. The most affected body region for the musculoskeletal discomfort reported by the participants was the neck, and the second most affected region was the lower back. Slightly uncomfortable behavior was reported by majority of the participants followed by moderate and very uncomfortable behavior because of pain. Another interesting finding of the study was that majority of the participants reported no interference to

Conclusion: The study results concluded that frequency of musculoskeletal (MSK) discomfort was high among software engineers. This discomfort commonly manifests in areas such as the neck, lower back, shoulders, upper back, and wrists, highlighting the

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