Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Students Receiving Online Classes.

Abstract

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders are associated with repetitive work, resulting in several health problems ranging from light pain to injuries with patient’s permanent disability.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a program for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in students who receive online classes.

Material and methods: A quasi-experimental research was carried out including 34 students who signed the informed consent, a survey to require information on sociodemographic variables and evaluation of the conditions of the place where they receive classes was applied. In addition, occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms was determined by applying the Nordic questionnaire. Subsequently, an intervention program was applied that consisted of ergonomic talks, stretching and active pauses during four consecutive weeks.

Results: 90.9% of the students reported some type of musculoskeletal pain, being more frequent in neck (94.1%), lumbar region (79.45%) and shoulder (70.6%), of which most of the interviewees described intermediate pain levels in the neck (41.2%), shoulder (29.4%) and dorsal or lumbar (29.4%), while in elbow and forearm and wrist and hand most do not present discomfort. After the intervention, pain levels decreased in the different parts of the body evaluated (p <0.05).

Conclusion: Based on the results, the positive effect of the prevention plan on the improvement of musculoskeletal pain in the intervened students was demonstrated, suggesting feasibility to apply this type of programs in other careers.