Risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders among operating room and anesthesia technicians working in educational-medical centers of Gorgan County: A cross-sectional study in 2023

Saberi, Zahra; Khademi, Javad; Seyedghasemi, Navisa Sadat; Heidari, Hamidreza

doi:10.48307/FMSJ.2025.29.2.191

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Volume 29, Issue 2 (Bimothly 2025)

Feyz Med Sci J 2025, 29(2): 189-198

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Risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders among operating room and anesthesia technicians working in educational-medical centers of Gorgan County: A cross-sectional study in 2023

Zahra Saberi

, Javad Khademi

, Navisa Sadat Seyedghasemi

, Hamidreza Heidari ^*

Faculty of Health, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran , hr.heidari.tums@gmail.com

Abstract: (497 Views)

Background and Aim: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among various medical professions, including anesthesia and operating room technicians, requires special attention due to the nature of their tasks and the relatively prolonged duration of performing each task in static positions. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders in these professions.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2023 on 72 individuals, including 38 operating room technicians and 34 anesthesia technicians working in educational and medical centers of Gorgan County. The sampling method was stratified random sampling. Musculoskeletal disorders were assessed using the standard Nordic questionnaire, and body posture analysis was performed using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 statistical software. The significance level of all statistical tests was considered less than 0.05.
Results: In the operating room group, the highest prevalence rates of musculoskeletal disorders in the past year were reported in the buttock/back area (42%), shoulder (29%), neck (24%), and waist (24%), respectively. While in the anesthesia group, disorders were more observed in the neck area (35%), shoulder (25%), and wrist/hands (23%). The examination of the relationship between the final score of body posture assessment and musculoskeletal disorders also showed that with an increase in body posture score level, the percentage of people with musculoskeletal disorders increased both weekly and annually.
Conclusion: For anesthesia technicians, the primary factors contributing to the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders included inappropriate body postures and static work, particularly during mask holding. In contrast, for operating room technicians, these factors included improper body posture (especially when working as surgical assistants), excessive force application (particularly during patient positioning), and prolonged standing.

Keywords: Musculoskeletal disorder, Anesthesia, Operating room, Assessment, Body posture

Full-Text [PDF 513 kb] (59 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: General
Received: 2025/01/6 | Revised: 2025/07/8 | Accepted: 2025/05/6 | Published: 2025/07/1

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Saberi Z, Khademi J, Seyedghasemi N S, Heidari H. Risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders among operating room and anesthesia technicians working in educational-medical centers of Gorgan County: A cross-sectional study in 2023. Feyz Med Sci J 2025; 29 (2) :189-198
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