Physical and psychosocial factors in display screen equipment assessment

Background: Healthy use of display screen equipment (DSE) has been one of the major concerns of workers at the workplace. This study aimed to identify the significant predictors of musculoskeletal discomforts among female sedentary workers.
Methods: A total of 67 female workers whose jobs required the use of a computer for more than 2 hours per day participated in an interview. This was followed by anthropometric measurements of the workers and their workstations.
Results: Mouse-elbow height match was a significant predictor for discomfort of the lower back, whilst keyboard-elbow height match was a significant predictor for discomfort of the shoulders and upper back. Psychosocial status and accumulative DSE usage of subjects were also significant factors for discomfort. Workstation-worker match attributed most significantly to workers' discomfort.
Conclusion: The study results further support the multifactorial nature of the relationships between musculoskeletal discomfort, workstation set-up and the psychosocial aspects of work. They also shed light on the parameters that might be important for risk assessment of computer use in the workplace. Copyright © 2003 Elsevier. Published by Elsevier B.V.