Musculoskeletal Disorders and Its Relation with Job Stress in Midwives

Abstract

The incidence of occupational stress in midwives may lead to increase in the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and decreased work efficiency and quality of care. This study was conducted to determine the rate of MSDs in different body parts and its relation with stress in midwives. This was a cross-sectional (descriptive and analytical) study. The population under study was midwives working in governmental and private hospitals in Nayshabur, Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran, in 2015. All eligible midwives (78 women) entered the study. The standard Nordic Questionnaire and the Altmaier occupational stress questionnaire were used. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, correlation, t-test and chi-square. In this population, 67.6% had at least one musculoskeletal disorder. The highest prevalence in the last year was in the shoulder region with 44% and the lowest prevalence was in the elbow (8%). Furthermore, 54% of the midwives had average and 46% had severe occupational stress. There was a significant association between MSDs in some body parts and midwives occupational stress (P<0.05). Both MSDs and occupational stress are prevalent among midwives and they are associated with each other.

Keywords

• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Occupational stress
• Midwives