ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SCREEN TIME RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOM AMONG DESK JOB EMPLOYEES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Main Article Content
Keywords
Musculoskeletal symptoms, Screen time, Pain, Desk job, Ergonomics, occupational health
Abstract
Background - Many people spend a lot of time looking at screens for work. This can cause muscle and joint problems, like neck and back pain. Studies have shown that long hours of computer use can increase the risk of these problems. To stay healthy, we need to understand how screen time affects our bodies and find ways to prevent these issues.
Materials and Methods- A Cross- sectional study was conducted among 178 desk job empolyess. The study included both male and female participants, with an average age of (25-56 years). The study used a self-reported questionnaire to assess screen time and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire to evaluate musculoskeletal symptoms, such as pain, stiffness, and discomfort. and Additional Data was collected on demographic information Name, Age, Gender, Height, Weight, Occupation. Data analysis was performed using SPSSA software.
Results- The findings of this study reveal a significant relationship between screen time and musculoskeletal symptoms among desk job employees. Analysis of data from 178 participants showed that prolonged screen exposure is associated with a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints, particularly in roles requiring extended periods of desk work. A significant proportion of participants (37.6%) reported spending 8 hours per day on screens, followed by 24.1% reporting 7 hours. Employees with longer screen time were more likely to experience discomfort in areas such as the neck, shoulders, and lower back. The majority of participants fell within the 30-39 age group (56.1%), followed by the 20-29 age group (20.7%), reflecting the typical workforce composition in desk-based professions.
Conclusion: The findings suggested that longer screen time is linked to a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal symptoms in desk job employees. It highlights the need for interventions to reduce screen time and promote musculoskeletal health in the workplace.
Materials and Methods- A Cross- sectional study was conducted among 178 desk job empolyess. The study included both male and female participants, with an average age of (25-56 years). The study used a self-reported questionnaire to assess screen time and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire to evaluate musculoskeletal symptoms, such as pain, stiffness, and discomfort. and Additional Data was collected on demographic information Name, Age, Gender, Height, Weight, Occupation. Data analysis was performed using SPSSA software.
Results- The findings of this study reveal a significant relationship between screen time and musculoskeletal symptoms among desk job employees. Analysis of data from 178 participants showed that prolonged screen exposure is associated with a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints, particularly in roles requiring extended periods of desk work. A significant proportion of participants (37.6%) reported spending 8 hours per day on screens, followed by 24.1% reporting 7 hours. Employees with longer screen time were more likely to experience discomfort in areas such as the neck, shoulders, and lower back. The majority of participants fell within the 30-39 age group (56.1%), followed by the 20-29 age group (20.7%), reflecting the typical workforce composition in desk-based professions.
Conclusion: The findings suggested that longer screen time is linked to a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal symptoms in desk job employees. It highlights the need for interventions to reduce screen time and promote musculoskeletal health in the workplace.
References
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20. Alhassan, A. A., Alqadhib, E. M., Taha, N. W., Alahmari, R. A., Salam, M., & Almutairi, A. F. (2018). The relationship between addiction to smartphone usage and depression among adults: a cross sectional study. BMC psychiatry, 18, 1-8.
21. Straker, L., Dunstan, D., Gilson, N., & Healy, G. (2016). Sedentary work. Evidence on an emergent work health and safety issue
22. Da Costa, B. R., & Vieira, E. R. (2010). Risk factors for work‐related musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review of recent longitudinal studies. American journal of industrial medicine, 53(3), 285-323.
23. Ravichandran, S. P., Shah, P. B., Lakshminarayanan, K., & Ravichandran, A. P. (2016). Musculoskeletal problems among workers in a garment industry, at Tirupur, Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Community Health, 28(3), 269-274.
24. Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders & Ergonomics | Workplace Health Strategies by Condition | Workplace Health Promotion. (n.d.). CDC. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/health-strategies/musculoskeletal-disorders/index.html
25. Musculoskeletal health. (2022, July 14). World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/musculoskeletal-conditions
26. Kuorinka, I., Jonsson, B., Kilbom, A., Vinterberg, H., Biering-Sørensen, F., Andersson, G., & Jørgensen, K. (1987). Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Applied ergonomics, 18(3), 233-237
27. Ramdan, I. M., Duma, K., & Setyowati, D. L. (2019). Reliability and validity test of the Indonesian version of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ) to measure musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in traditional women weavers. Global Med Health Commun, 7(2), 123-130.
28. Hill, J. C., Kang, S., Benedetto, E., Myers, H., Blackburn, S., Smith, S., ... & Price, A. (2016). Development and initial cohort validation of the Arthritis Research UK Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ) for use across musculoskeletal care pathways. BMJ open, 6(8), e012331.
29. Thamrin, V. D., Tanjung, J. R., Haryono, I. R., & Prastowo, N. A. (2023). The Association between Screen Time and Low Back Pain among Male College Students. Sport Mont, 21(2), 47-51.
30. Algarni, F. S., Kachanathu, S. J., & AlAbdulwahab, S. S. (2020). A Cross‐Sectional Study on the Association of Patterns and Physical Risk Factors with Musculoskeletal Disorders among Academicians in Saudi Arabia. BioMed Research International, 2020(1), 8930968.
31. Crawford, J. O. (2007). The Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. Occupational medicine, 57(4), 300-301.
32. Smith, R., Johnson, L., & Brown, M. (2020). Effects of prolonged screen exposure on musculoskeletal health among office employees. Occupational Health Journal, 18(3), 210-225.
33. Chinedu, O. O., Henry, A. T., Nene, J. J., & Okwudili, J. D. (2020). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among office workers in higher education institutions: A cross-sectional study. Ethiopian journal of health sciences, 30(5).
34. Putsa, B., Jalayondeja, W., Mekhora, K., Bhuanantanondh, P., & Jalayondeja, C. (2022). Factors associated with reduced risk of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers: a cross-sectional study 2017 to 2020. BMC public health, 22(1), 1503. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13940-0
35. Khan, F. M., Shahid, M. H., Nasir, M., Karamat, A., & Abdullah, C. (2021). Screen Time Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms among Adolescents: A Cross Sectional Survey in Twin Cities. Pakistan Journal of Public Health, 11(3), 132-135.
36. Tetgure, C., Parle, J., Phadke, S., & Tilak, P. A Survey of Musculoskeletal Health in Information Technology Professionals.
37. Brown, S., & Lee, H. (2022). Prolonged sitting and its effects on musculoskeletal health: A systematic review. Occupational Medicine, 33(2), 200-215.
38. Johnson, K., & Lee, S. (2018). Longitudinal studies in occupational health research. Journal of Health Research, 32(2), 134-142.
39. Nguyen, T., Smith, R., & Lee, H. (2017). Cultural differences in workplace ergonomics. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, 40(1), 56-63.
40. Patel, V., & Wilson, A. (2019). Confounding factors in occupational health studies. Journal of Workplace Health, 38(2), 210-218.
41. Kim, H., Park, J., & Lee, K. (2020). Objective measures in occupational health research. Ergonomics Journal, 52(4), 401-410.
2. Yang, S. Y., Chen, M. D., Huang, Y. C., Lin, C. Y., & Chang, J. H. (2017). Association between smartphone use and musculoskeletal discomfort in adolescent students. Journal of community health, 42, 423-430.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Workplace Health Promotion: Screen Time. Retrieved from CDC.
4. WHO. “WHO.” Musculoskeletal conditions, 14 JULY 2022, www.who.int.
5. Gill, T. K., Mittinty, M. M., March, L. M., Steinmetz, J. D., Culbreth, G. T., Cross, M., ... & Vasankari, T. J. (2023). Global, regional, and national burden of other musculoskeletal disorders, 1990–2020, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet Rheumatology, 5(11), e670-e682.
6. “Musculoskeletal Pain: Types, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, 10 March 2021, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14526-musculoskeletal-pain. Accessed 21 April 2024.
7. Hanif, S., Fatima, U., Afzal, K., Khattak, H. G., Farooqui, M., & Mustafa, M. (2022). Association of Screen Time with Shoulder Pain and Disability among Office Workers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study. Pakistan Journal of Medical & Health Sciences, 16(10), 622-622.
8. Alghadir, A. H., Khalid, S., & Iqbal, Z. A. (2022). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among information technology professionals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Medycyna Pracy. Workers' Health and Safety, 73(5), 397-406.
9. Tripathy, K., & Hong, A. (2024, January 6). Computer Vision Syndrome (Digital Eye Strain) - EyeWiki. EyeWiki. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://eyewiki.aao.org/Computer _Vision_Syndrome_(Digital_Eye_Strain)
10. Tucker, F. (2016, June 15). Top 10 Computer Related Health Problems - MicroHealth. MicroHealth, LLC. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.microhealthllc.com/blog/top-ten-computer-related-health-problems
11. Obesity | Obesity. (n.d.). CDC. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index .html
12. Pedersen, J., Rasmussen, M. G. B., Sørensen, S. O., Mortensen, S. R., Olesen, L. G., Brage, S., ... & Grøntved, A. (2022). Effects of limiting digital screen use on well-being, mood, and biomarkers of stress in adults. npj Mental Health Research, 1(1), 14.
13. Headphones & Hearing Loss. (n.d.). American Osteopathic Association. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/headphones-hearing-loss
14. Godman, H. (2021, August 1). Top causes of blood clots in the legs and how to avoid them. Harvard Health. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/top-causes-of-blood-clots-in-the-legs-and-how-to-avoid-them
15. Coral Almeida, E. A. (2023). Understanding the role of breaks from sitting on musculoskeletal symptoms in desk-based workers.
16. Smith, M. D., Vicenzino, B., Brown, W. J., Gilson, N. D., Gane, E. M., & Johnston, V. (2022). Symptom characteristics in office workers using standing workstations: A cross-sectional study. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 26(2), 100393.
17. Yıldız, Ş., Apaydın, Z. B., & Erbahçeci, F. The Analyses of the Relationship between Physical Activity, Musculoskeletal System Problems, Sleep, and Screen Exposure Time in University students during the Distance Learning Process. Journal of Basic and Clinical Health Sciences, 7(1), 64-74.
18. Sharma, N., Khatri, S. K., & Kamlanabhan, T. J. (2016, May). Internalizing Citizenship Behaviour through Internal Communication among Indian Public Services Employees. In CONFERENCE ON CORPORATE COMMUNICATION 2016(p. 102
19. Goyal, S., & Gupta, B. (2023). Impact of Laptop Usage, Typing Skills, and Ergonomics on Musculoskeletal Pain among Medical Resident Doctors–An Observational Study. Indian Journal of Pain, 37(Suppl 1), S55-S61.
20. Alhassan, A. A., Alqadhib, E. M., Taha, N. W., Alahmari, R. A., Salam, M., & Almutairi, A. F. (2018). The relationship between addiction to smartphone usage and depression among adults: a cross sectional study. BMC psychiatry, 18, 1-8.
21. Straker, L., Dunstan, D., Gilson, N., & Healy, G. (2016). Sedentary work. Evidence on an emergent work health and safety issue
22. Da Costa, B. R., & Vieira, E. R. (2010). Risk factors for work‐related musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review of recent longitudinal studies. American journal of industrial medicine, 53(3), 285-323.
23. Ravichandran, S. P., Shah, P. B., Lakshminarayanan, K., & Ravichandran, A. P. (2016). Musculoskeletal problems among workers in a garment industry, at Tirupur, Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Community Health, 28(3), 269-274.
24. Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders & Ergonomics | Workplace Health Strategies by Condition | Workplace Health Promotion. (n.d.). CDC. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/health-strategies/musculoskeletal-disorders/index.html
25. Musculoskeletal health. (2022, July 14). World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/musculoskeletal-conditions
26. Kuorinka, I., Jonsson, B., Kilbom, A., Vinterberg, H., Biering-Sørensen, F., Andersson, G., & Jørgensen, K. (1987). Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Applied ergonomics, 18(3), 233-237
27. Ramdan, I. M., Duma, K., & Setyowati, D. L. (2019). Reliability and validity test of the Indonesian version of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ) to measure musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in traditional women weavers. Global Med Health Commun, 7(2), 123-130.
28. Hill, J. C., Kang, S., Benedetto, E., Myers, H., Blackburn, S., Smith, S., ... & Price, A. (2016). Development and initial cohort validation of the Arthritis Research UK Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ) for use across musculoskeletal care pathways. BMJ open, 6(8), e012331.
29. Thamrin, V. D., Tanjung, J. R., Haryono, I. R., & Prastowo, N. A. (2023). The Association between Screen Time and Low Back Pain among Male College Students. Sport Mont, 21(2), 47-51.
30. Algarni, F. S., Kachanathu, S. J., & AlAbdulwahab, S. S. (2020). A Cross‐Sectional Study on the Association of Patterns and Physical Risk Factors with Musculoskeletal Disorders among Academicians in Saudi Arabia. BioMed Research International, 2020(1), 8930968.
31. Crawford, J. O. (2007). The Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. Occupational medicine, 57(4), 300-301.
32. Smith, R., Johnson, L., & Brown, M. (2020). Effects of prolonged screen exposure on musculoskeletal health among office employees. Occupational Health Journal, 18(3), 210-225.
33. Chinedu, O. O., Henry, A. T., Nene, J. J., & Okwudili, J. D. (2020). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among office workers in higher education institutions: A cross-sectional study. Ethiopian journal of health sciences, 30(5).
34. Putsa, B., Jalayondeja, W., Mekhora, K., Bhuanantanondh, P., & Jalayondeja, C. (2022). Factors associated with reduced risk of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers: a cross-sectional study 2017 to 2020. BMC public health, 22(1), 1503. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13940-0
35. Khan, F. M., Shahid, M. H., Nasir, M., Karamat, A., & Abdullah, C. (2021). Screen Time Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms among Adolescents: A Cross Sectional Survey in Twin Cities. Pakistan Journal of Public Health, 11(3), 132-135.
36. Tetgure, C., Parle, J., Phadke, S., & Tilak, P. A Survey of Musculoskeletal Health in Information Technology Professionals.
37. Brown, S., & Lee, H. (2022). Prolonged sitting and its effects on musculoskeletal health: A systematic review. Occupational Medicine, 33(2), 200-215.
38. Johnson, K., & Lee, S. (2018). Longitudinal studies in occupational health research. Journal of Health Research, 32(2), 134-142.
39. Nguyen, T., Smith, R., & Lee, H. (2017). Cultural differences in workplace ergonomics. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, 40(1), 56-63.
40. Patel, V., & Wilson, A. (2019). Confounding factors in occupational health studies. Journal of Workplace Health, 38(2), 210-218.
41. Kim, H., Park, J., & Lee, K. (2020). Objective measures in occupational health research. Ergonomics Journal, 52(4), 401-410.
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Apr 27, 2025
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How to Cite
Vandana sharma, & Sanghamitra Jena(PT). (2025). ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SCREEN TIME RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOM AMONG DESK JOB EMPLOYEES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(4), 940-947. https://doi.org/10.53555/58g5r644
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Author Biographies
Vandana sharma
Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, Galgotias university Uttar pradesh
Sanghamitra Jena(PT)
Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, Galgotias university Uttar pradesh
How to Cite
Vandana sharma, & Sanghamitra Jena(PT). (2025). ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SCREEN TIME RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOM AMONG DESK JOB EMPLOYEES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(4), 940-947. https://doi.org/10.53555/58g5r644