Journal of health research in community

Introduction and purpose: Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common occupational problems, and the use of portable computers is accounted for one of the main causes of these disorders. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among students using portable computers, to assess pain rate in different body parts, and to identify the most exposed body parts.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 184 students of Health Faculty, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran. Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire and computer-related musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire were applied to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in different body parts caused by repetitive movements.
Results: According to the computer-related musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire, most of the participants felt pain in the right shoulder (23.9%). Based on the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire, upper arm, right side of the neck, right side of the hip, and the lower extremities were the most painful areas, respectively (2.29% 3.30%, and 2.8%, respectively). Chi-square test reflected a significant relationship between students’ gender and the painful areas (P=0.07).
Conclusion: Less use of tables and chairs while using laptops was a common ergonomic problem among the students. Using tables and chairs while working with laptops, using external keyboards to reduce stress on the shoulders, applying the right ergonomic methods, and doing short exercises are recommended to prevent musculoskeletal disorders.