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An ecological model of musculoskeletal disorders in office work.

Sauter SL; Swanson NG

Psychosocial Factors and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Office Work. London, United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, Inc., 1995 Dec; :3-22

20027620

There is increasing recognition that so-called "psychosocial" factors in the workplace are somehow involved in the etiology of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, especially in the context of office work involving video display terminals (VDTs). In an expansive review of the epidemiologic literature on psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders, Bongers and de Winter (1992) concluded that monotonous work, high perceived workload, time pressure, and low control and social support were all related to musculoskeletal symptoms among workers. This relationship is captured in a metaphor by Hocking (1990) which likens work related disease to an iceberg floating in a social sea (workplace psychosocial environment). Disease is more or less manifest as the iceberg floats higher or lower as a function of conditions in the psychosocial sea. Despite the mounting evidence, the notion that psychosocial factors affect musculoskeletal disorders has met with some uncertainty. As we see it, the problem is 1wo-fold, having to do with 1) confusion regarding the concept of psychosocial factors, and 2) questions regarding possible causal mechanisms linking psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders. These uncertainties are elaborated further as follows.

Psychological-effects; Psychological-factors; Psychological-reactions; Psychological-responses; Psychological-testing; Musculoskeletal-system; Musculoskeletal-system-disorders; Muscular-disorders; Muscle-stress; Video-display-terminals; Repetitive-work; Work-capacity; Worker-health; Worker-motivation; Workplace-monitoring; Workplace-studies; Job-analysis; Sociological-factors; Occupational-diseases; Occupational-hazards; Occupational-health; Stress; Physical-stress; Psychological-stress; Biomechanics

NIOSH - Taft Laboratory, Division of Biomedical and Behavioral Science, Applied Psychology and Ergonomics Branch, Mail Stop C-24, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45226

19951201

Book or book chapter

Moon S; Sauter SL

1996

0748403221

DBBS

Psychosocial Factors and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Office Work

OH