Ann Rehabil Med.  2018 Feb;42(1):101-112. 10.5535/arm.2018.42.1.101.

Risk Factor, Job Stress and Quality of Life in Workers With Lower Extremity Pain Who Use Video Display Terminals

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. stephan72@hanmail.net

Abstract


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the general characteristics of video display terminal (VDT) workers with lower extremity pain, to identify the risk factors of work-related lower extremity pain, and to examine the relationship between work stress and health-related quality of life.
METHODS
A questionnaire about the general characteristics of the survey group and the musculoskeletal symptom was used. A questionnaire about job stress used the Korean Occupational Stress Scale and medical outcome study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) to assess health-related quality of life.
RESULTS
There were 1,711 subjects in the lower extremity group and 2,208 subjects in the control group. Age, sex, hobbies, and feeling of loading affected lower extremity pain as determined in a crossover analysis of all variables with and without lower extremity pain. There were no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of job stress and SF-36 values of the pain and control groups.
CONCLUSION
Job stress in VDT workers was higher than average, and the quality of life decreased as the stress increased. Factors such as younger age, women, hobbies other than exercise, and feeling of loading influenced lower extremity pain of workers. Further long-term follow-up and supplementary studies are needed to identify risk factors for future lower extremity pain, taking into account ergonomic factors such as worker's posture.

Keyword

Work-related lower extremity pain; SF-36; Job stress

MeSH Terms

Computer Terminals*
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Health Surveys
Hobbies
Humans
Lower Extremity*
Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
Posture
Quality of Life*
Risk Factors*

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