Comparison of Pain, Stress and Physical Activity Levels of Academic Staff According to Ergonomic Arrangement in Their Offices

EasyChair Preprint 15551

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the comparison of pain, stress and physical activity levels of academic staff working at the university according to the ergonomic conditions in their working environment. 85 volunteer individuals working at xx University participated in the study. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short form (IPAQ), the Scandinavian Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used for this study. Ergonomic assessment of the working environment was performed using the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA). According to the ROSA assessments, it was observed that the mean physical activity level of academic staff whose work environment was ergonomic was statistically lower than non-ergonomic academic staff (p=0.018). In addition, the mean perceived stress levels were similar in both groups (p>0.05). According to the Scandinavian Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, it was observed that the academic staff experienced the most pain in the neck region in the last 12 months, followed by pain in the back and waist regions. Among these pains experienced in the last 12 months, it was found that the pain in the neck and waist regions prevented the activities of the individuals. The findings of this study indicate that the ergonomic conditions of the working environments of individuals employed at universities are associated with their physical activity levels. It is recommended that academic staff who work long hours should pay attention to the ergonomic conditions of their working environment as well as their physical activity levels.

Keyphrases: Ergonomic, physical activity, stress

@booklet{EasyChair:15551,
  author    = {Gokcen Akyurek and Betul Ustun},
  title     = {Comparison of Pain, Stress and Physical Activity Levels of Academic Staff According to Ergonomic Arrangement in Their Offices},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 15551},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2024}}