Ergonomic risk factors and musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare professionals in Ghana

Background

Globally, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have been on the increase, especially among health professionals in Ghana. This is the highest reason for health worker absenteeism in Ghana. While a number of studies may have been conducted in this area, there is little scientific knowledge assessing the enormity of the problem, especially among different cadres of healthcare professionals in Ghana.

Methods

The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design among 192 health professionals. Self-administered structured questionnaires were used to collect data and SPSS (version 26.0) was used to analyse data.

Results

Findings from the study revealed all health workers had experienced Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) in their line of duty at the hospital with lower and upper back pain (90.7 %) and neck pain (89.3 %) being the most reported. The study again noted that older healthcare professionals were more likely to have MSDs than those of younger ages (Odds Ratio = 1.87; 95 % CI = 1.62, 2.21; p = 0.002). Females were also more likely to get MSDs than males (Odds Ratio = 1.66; 95 % CI = 1.49, 1.89; p = 0.001).

Conclusion

The study concludes that while MSD is high among Ghanaian healthcare professionals, this area has received little attention from all the key stakeholders in addressing it. The research therefore recommends significant investments in modern technology and retooling of the healthcare sector to reduce the physical strength or manual involvement in performing their duties. The study also recommends regular occupational health and safety training to improve knowledge of MSD among healthcare professionals in Ghana.