DISTÚRBIOS OSTEOMUSCULARES RELACIONADOS AO TRABALHO EM MÉDICOS VETERINÁRIOS

Abstract

Currently, musculoskeletal disorders related to work have high prevalence rates worldwide, affecting different categories of health professionals too. The present study aimed to determine the susceptibility and prevalence of occupational diseases among veterinarians. A quantitative, descriptive and exploratory crosssectional study was conducted among 100 veterinarians working in the city of São Paulo (SP) and over 1 year of activity. The results showed that 69% of the veterinarians experienced painful musculoskeletal symptoms and 81% related their occurrence with occupational activities. Considering the responses about the work activities that triggered pain, such as prolonged postural maintenance and containment of heavy animals, it was seen an agreement between the affected areas, the activities executed and the daily workload over 40 hours per week. There was also an association between musculoskeletal symptoms and younger age, since the sample consisted predominantly of individuals with an average age from 23 to 30 years, working in the veterinarian field for 1 to 5 years. Due to the high prevalence found in this study of occupational diseases among veterinarians, it becomes clear that preventive actions and ergonomic studies are needed for maintaining the integrity of the musculoskeletal system in order to improve the quality of life of workers.

Keywords

• Musculoskeletal lesions
• Prevalence
• Veterinary medicine
• Workers