RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NECK PAIN, FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY, AND WORKSTATION FACTORS AMONG COMPUTER USERS IN FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Background: Neck discomfort is frequent among people in developed countries and a common cause of economic burden for sick leaves. Neck difficulties at work are widespread among office employees, especially those who spend much time on the computer.

Objective: To find the relationship between neck pain & neck disability with workstation factors, including the type of computer, type of office chair, duration of computer usage, and effect of a break during work.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 216 office workers (computer users) in Faisalabad from February 2022 to June 2022. Data were collected through a non-probability convenient sampling technique. The study equipment consisted of a standardized questionnaire with demographic variables, the number of computer use hours per day, type of computer, chair, VAS and NDI questionnaires.

Results: Out of the 216 participants (the mean age 30.42±6.962 years), 115 (53.2%) were females, and 101 (46.8%) were males. The result showed that 18.5% of computer users rated their pain as mild, 27.8% rated moderate, and 37.5% were severe. A positive relationship among the duration of computer use and taking a break during work with VAS and NDI was found. At the same time, there was a negative relationship between the type of chair and system use with VAS and NDI.

Conclusion: A substantial positive relationship between neck pain & functional disability with the duration of computer use. As the duration of work increases, neck pain and functional disability increase.