Healthcare workers' musculoskeletal disorders, sleep quality, stress, and fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare musculoskeletal complaints, sleep quality, stress, and fatigue levels of healthcare workers who took and did not take an active role COVID-19 pandemic and to examine the relationship between musculoskeletal complaints and sleep quality, stress and fatigue levels.
Materials and methods: Participants included 194 healthcare workers (Female/Male, 131/63; Mean age, 30.9±7.6 years). Participants with an active assignment in COVID-19 related services [COVD group, n (%)=124 (64)] and participants without an active assignment in COVID-19 related services [CONT group, n (%)=70 (36)] were compared. The Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal System Questionnaire, Fatigue Assessment Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were completed. The relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and fatigue, sleep quality and stress was investigated.
Results: The musculoskeletal disorders of shoulders, upper back, ankle, and hips/thighs regions in the last 4 weeks were more in COVD group compared to CONT group (p<0.01 for all). The disorders of pain related to body parts were found to be higher at all measurement points in COVD group. The weekly working hours were 43.9±14.7 hours in the COVD group and 34.9±18.8 hours in the CONT group (p=0.001). Sleep quality and stress levels were similar whereas fatigue levels were higher in COVD group (COVD, 28.29±8.49; CONT, 24.77±7.02; p=0.002). A significant relationship was found between musculoskeletal pain in the last 4 weeks and the fatigue, sleep quality, and stress.
Conclusions: Healthcare workers who took an active assignment during the COVID-19 pandemic period had more musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue levels and working hours compared to those without an active assignment.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• healthcare worker
• musculoskeletal disorders
• sleep quality
• stress

Sağlık çalışanlarının COVID-19 sürecinde, kas iskelet sistemi problemleri, uyku kalitesi, algıladıkları stres ve yorgunluğunun değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, COVID-19 pandemisinde aktif rol alan ve almayan sağlık çalışanlarının kas-iskelet şikayetleri, uyku kalitesi, stres ve yorgunluk düzeylerini karşılaştırmak ve kas iskelet sistemi şikayetleri ile uyku kalitesi, stress ve yorgunluk seviyeleri arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir.
Gereç ve yöntem: 194 sağlık çalışanı (Kadın/Erkek, 131/63; Ortalama yaş, 30,9±7,6 yıl) çalışmaya dahil edildi. Pandemilerde aktif görevi olan katılımcılar [COVD grubu; n (%)=124 (64)] ve aktif görev almayanlar [CONT grubu; n (%)=70 (36)] karşılaştırıldı. Genişletilmiş Nordik Kas-İskelet Sistemi Anketi, Yorgunluk Değerlendirme Ölçeği, Algılanan Stres Ölçeği ve Pittsburgh Uyku Kalitesi İndeksi kullanıldı. Kas-iskelet sistemi rahatsızlıkları ile yorgunluk, uyku kalitesi ve stres arasındaki ilişki araştırıldı.
Bulgular: Son 4 hafta içinde omuz, sırt, ayak bileği ve kalça/uyluk bölgelerindeki kas-iskelet sistemi rahatsızlıkları CONT grubuna göre COVD grubunda daha fazlaydı (tümü için p<0,01). COVD grubunda vücut bölgelerine bağlı ağrı bozuklukları tüm ölçüm noktalarında daha yüksek bulundu. Haftalık çalışma saati COVD grubunda 43,9±14,7 saat, CONT grubunda ise 34,9±18,8 saatti (p=0,001). COVD grubunda uyku kalitesi ve stres düzeyleri benzerken, yorgunluk düzeyleri daha yüksekti (COVD, 28,29±8,49; CONT, 24,77±7,02; p=0,002). Son 4 haftadaki kas-iskelet ağrısı ile yorgunluk, uyku kalitesi ve stres arasında ilişki bulundu.
Sonuç: COVID-19 pandemisinde aktif görev alan sağlık çalışanlarında aktif görev almayanlara göre daha uzun çalışma saati, daha fazla kas-iskelet sistemi rahatsızlığı ve daha yüksek yorgunluk düzeyi bulundu.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• sağlık çalışanı
• kas-iskelet sistemi rahatsızlıkları
• uyku kalitesi
• stres.

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