Musculoskeletal Disorders and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Information Technology Professionals in the Post-Pandemic Period: A Cross-Sectional Occupational Health Study.

Λεπτομέρειες βιβλιογραφικής εγγραφής
Τίτλος:	Musculoskeletal Disorders and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Information Technology Professionals in the Post-Pandemic Period: A Cross-Sectional Occupational Health Study.
Συγγραφείς:	Patra RC; Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India., Yashudas A; Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India.
Πηγή:	Musculoskeletal care [Musculoskeletal Care] 2026 Dec; Vol. 24 (4), pp. e70275.
Τύπος έκδοσης:	Journal Article
Γλώσσα:	English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού:	Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101181344 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1557-0681 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14782189 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Musculoskeletal Care Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):	Publication: [Hoboken] : John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Original Publication: London : Whurr Publishers, 2003-
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH):	Musculoskeletal Diseases/epidemiology , Occupational Diseases/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Quality of Life , Occupational Health* , Information Technology*, India/epidemiology ; Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Prevalence ; Working Conditions ; Young Adult ; Ergonomics ; Surveys and Questionnaires
Περίληψη:	Background: IT professionals face sustained ergonomic exposures, including prolonged sedentary behaviour, high screen time, and suboptimal workstation design, that intensified following pandemic-driven shifts to remote and hybrid work. These conditions predispose this occupational cohort to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and impaired health related quality of life (HRQoL); however, population-specific evidence remains limited. Objective: To estimate 12-month MSD prevalence and regional distribution among IT professionals, compare HRQoL across MSD and non-MSD groups, and identify factors independently associated with MSDs. Methods: A purposive-stratified cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1568 full-time or part-time IT professionals (aged 20-60 years) recruited from corporate technology firms, software companies, BPO units, and remote working platforms across India with a response rate of 98%. MSD prevalence and disability were assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ); HRQoL was evaluated using the World Health Organisation Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. Factors independently associated with MSD presence were identified through multivariable backward stepwise logistic regression (Nagelkerke R² reported); MSD severity-HRQoL associations were examined using linear regression. Results: The 12-month prevalence of MSD was 71.4%. The neck (59.2%), lower back (53.7%), and shoulders (46.1%) were most affected. Multi-regional involvement correlated with significantly greater disability (6.1 ± 2.4 vs. 4.2 ± 1.9; p < 0.001). The MSD group demonstrated markedly lower physical HRQoL (48.3 ± 13.6 vs. 71.9 ± 12.8; p < 0.001), with significant differences across all WHOQOL-BREF domains. The strongest independent factors associated with MSDs were daily work > 10 hours (OR 2.93, 95% CI 2.10-4.07), poor ergonomic conditions (OR = 2.42, 95% CI 1.99-2.94), and remote work modality (OR = 1.78, 95%CI 1.42-2.21; Nagelkerke R² = 0.41). Conclusion: MSDs are highly prevalent among IT professionals and are independently associated with impaired HRQoL across all domains. Poor ergonomic conditions, extended work hours, and remote work modality were independently associated with MSD presence and represent potentially modifiable workplace characteristics warranting further evaluation. (© 2026 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial intelligence technologies or similar technologies.)
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Contributed Indexing:	Keywords: IT professionals; WHOQOL‐BREF; ergonomics; health‐related quality of life; hybrid work; musculoskeletal disorders; nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire; post‐pandemic; remote work
Entry Date(s):	Date Created: 20261014 Date Completed: 20261014 Latest Revision: 20261014
Update Code:	20261015
DOI:	10.1002/msc.70275
PMID:	42873739
Βάση Δεδομένων:	MEDLINE

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ISSN:	1557-0681
DOI:	10.1002/msc.70275