Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Occupational Therapists in Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Study

Bektas S. A., Degerli M. N. O., ALTUNTAŞ O., BUMİN G.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN HEALTH CARE, vol.39, no.4, pp.814-826, 2025 (ESCI, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 39 Issue: 4
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/07380577.2024.2426652
  • Journal Name: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN HEALTH CARE
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, SportDiscus
  • Page Numbers: pp.814-826
  • Keywords: musculoskeletal disorders, occupational therapists, work-related injury, workplace
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a common cause of absentism and work disability. As work-related musculoskeletal disorders represent an increasingly important issue for occupational therapists, this study determined musculoskeletal disorders among occupational therapists in Turkey. A total of 238 occupational therapists participated and completed the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. As a result, 73.1% of participants reported experiencing neck pain and 72.3% reported experiencing low back pain at 12 months. Statistically significant differences were found between participants with and without work-related musculoskeletal disorders regarding gender, experience, workplace type, treatment, and daily working hours (p < 0.05). Occupational therapists may experience work-related musculoskeletal disorders due to not practicing proper body mechanics or non-provision of transferring equipment.