MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AMONG VISUAL-DISPLAY TERMINAL WORKERS - INDIVIDUAL, ERGONOMIC, AND WORK ORGANIZATIONAL-FACTORS

A number of individual, ergonomic, and organizational factors of presu med importance for the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders were in vestigated in a group of 260 visual display terminal (VDT) workers. Th e cross-sectional study utilized medical and workplace investigations as well as questionnaires. The results were subjected to a multivariat e analysis in order to find the major factors associated with various upper-body muscular problems. Several such factors were identified for each investigated type of musculoskeletal problem. Some were related to the individual: age, gender, woman with children at home, use of sp ectacles, smoking, stomach-related stress reactions, and negative affe ctivity. Organizational variables of importance were opportunities for flexible rest breaks, extreme peer contacts, task flexibility, and ov ertime. Identified ergonomic variables were static work posture, hand position, use of lower arm support, repeated work movements, and keybo ard or VDT vertical position.