Stories of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: Narratives of Information Technology Professionals

Abstract

Background:

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in computer users have multi-faceted etiology. Using narrative analysis, this study explores the strategies that information technology (IT) professionals employ to mitigate the effect of risk factors of MSD in their workplace.

Methods:

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 IT professionals from a state organization in the United States. The findings are summarized through participant profiles. Elements in the narratives were emphasized that show how the participants linked events and experiences related to their work and MSD.

Findings:

Participant stories are grouped based on themes using rich descriptions that communicate their approach for possible solutions to prevent MSD in the workplace. Themes are individual risk factors for MSD, proactive approaches like individual awareness of posture and behavior while working, workstation design, and mitigating strategies.

Conclusions:

IT professionals employ several strategies to mitigate the effect of risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders due to computer use in their workplace that need to be communicated to the management.

Application to Practice:

Individual stories have highlighted that the participants were self-directed in identifying and exploring mitigating strategies related to work-related MSD. Communication is an important aspect of workplace safety wherein the expertise of the occupational health professionals plays a crucial role. Stories in this study may resonate with other stories of pain and discomfort due to MSD and have implications for organizations and provide us with explicit examples from the manager perspective.

Keywords

narratives work-related musculoskeletal disorders self-directed ergonomics IT professional

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bandola-Gill

Smith

K. E.

(2022). Governing by narratives: REF impact case studies and restrictive storytelling in performance measurement. Studies in Higher Education, 47(9), 1857–1871.

Bernard

B. P.

Cohen

A. L.

Fine

L. J.

Gjessing

C. C.

McGlothlin

J. D.

(1997). Elements of ergonomics programs: A primer based on workplace evaluations of musculoskeletal disorders. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Berry

Mirabito

Baun

(2010). What’s the hard return on employee wellness programs? Harvard Business Review, 88, 104–112.

Bhattacharya

(2014). Costs of occupational musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the United States. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 44, 448–454.

Boxall

Macky

(2014). High-involvement work processes, work intensification and employee well-being. Work, Employment and Society, 28(6), 963–984.

Carr

L. J.

Leonhard

Tucker

Fethke

Benzo

Gerr

(2016). Total worker health intervention increases activity of sedentary workers. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 50(1), 9–17.

Chim

J. M.

(2014). The FITS model office ergonomics program: A model for best practice. Work, 48(4), 495–501.

Chowdhury

Aghazadeh

Amini

(2017). Ergonomic assessment of working postures for the design of university computer workstations. Occupational Ergonomics, 13(S1), 37–46.

Creswell

(2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage Publications.

10.

Crowther

Ironside

Spence

Smythe

(2016). Crafting stories in hermeneutic phenomenology research: A methodological device. Qualitative Health Research, 27(6), 826–835. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732316656161

11.

Dohan

Garrett

S. B.

Rendle

K. A.

Halley

Abramson

(2016). The importance of integrating narrative into health care decision making. Health Affairs, 35(4), 720–725.

12.

Erdinc

(2011). Upper extremity musculoskeletal discomfort among occupational notebook personal computer users: Work interference, associations with risk factors and the use of notebook computer stand and docking station. Work, 39, 455–463.

13.

Fadlallah

El-Jardali

Nomier

Hemadi

Arif

Langlois

E. V.

Akl

E. A.

(2019). Using narratives to impact health policy-making: A systematic review. Health Research Policy and Systems, 17(1), 1–22.

14.

Gilbreath

Montesino

(2006). Expanding the HRD role: Improving employee well-being and organizational performance. Human Resource Development International, 9(4), 563–571. https://doi-org.proxy.library.vcu.edu/10.1080/13678860601032684

15.

Grant

A. M.

Christianson

M. K.

Price

R. H.

(2007). Happiness, health, or relationships? Managerial practices and employee well-being tradeoffs. Academy of Management Perspectives, 21(3), 51–63.

16.

King

(2014). A journey with chronic pain: Self-directed learning as survival. New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 26(2), 5–18.

17.

Knowles

M. S.

(1975). Self-directed learning. Follett Publishing Company.

18.

Kreuter

M. W.

Green

M. C.

Cappella

J. N.

Slater

M. D.

Wise

M. E.

Storey

Clark

E. M.

O’Keefe

D. J.

Erwin

D. O.

Holmes

Hinyard

L. J.

Houston

Woolley

(2007). Narrative communication in cancer prevention and control: A framework to guide research and application. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 33(3), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02879904

19.

Kumar

(2008). Biomechanics in ergonomics. CRC Press.

20.

Lee

E. W.

Fok

J. P.

Lam

A. T.

Law

R. K.

Szeto

G. P.

P. P.

(2014). The application of participatory ergonomics in a healthcare setting in Hong Kong. Work, 48(4), 511–519.

21.

Lunsford

D. L.

Dolison

C. N.

(2019). The roles of human resource development in developing the whole person with disabilities: A conceptual model. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 31(4), 397–418. https://doi-org.proxy.library.vcu.edu/10.1002/piq.21283

22.

Lysaght

Fabrigar

Larmour-Trode

Stewart

Friesen

(2012). Measuring workplace social support for workers with disability. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 22, 376–386.

23.

Lysaght

Larmour-Trode

(2008). An exploration of social support as a factor in the return-to-work process. Work, 30, 255–266.

24.

Maxwell

J. A.

(2013). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. Sage.

25.

Morse

J. M.

(2012). Introducing the first Global Congress for Qualitative Health Research: What are we? What will we do—and why? Qualitative Health Research, 22, 147–156. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732311422707

26.

Muller

J. H.

(1999). Narrative approaches to qualitative research in primary care. In Crabtree

B. F.

Miller

W. L.

(Eds.), Doing qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 221–238). Sage Publications.

27.

Mustafa

Taufek

F. H. M.

Alhan

A. M. A.

Zaidan

M. R.

Arazie

N. I. M.

Ismail

N. I.

Halim

N. A. A.

(2018). Ergonomics and employee performance: A study on oil palm plantations in Rompin district, Pahang. Global Business and Management Research, 10(3), 839.

28.

Nasheeda

Abdullah

H. B.

Krauss

S. E.

Ahmed

N. B.

(2019). Transforming transcripts into stories: A multimethod approach to narrative analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 18, 1609406919856797.

29.

NIOSH. (1997). Musculoskeletal disorders and workplace factors, A critical review of epidemiologic evidence for work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, upper extremity, and low back. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/97-141/default.html

30.

Pattath

Webb

(2022). Computer-usage and associated musculoskeletal discomfort in college students. Work, 73(1), 327–334. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-210523

31.

Paul

(2005). Introduction to the philosophies of research and criticism in education and the social sciences. Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

32.

Reinert

Caselli

R. P.

Moro

Gontijo

L. A.

Ferreira

(2020). Human factors related to the use of a personal computer: A case study. Work, 65(1), 225–230. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-193052

33.

Riessman

C. K.

(2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. Sage.

34.

Saffran

(2021). Public health storytelling practice. The Lancet, 397(10284), 1536–1537.

35.

Salana

Maty

Hage

(2021). A whole other story: Interpreting narrative medicine. Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 10, 21649561211031880. https://doi.org/10.1177/21649561211031880

36.

Skinner

H. A.

Maley

Norman

C. D.

(2006). Developing internet-based eHealth promotion programs: The spiral technology action research (STAR) model. Health Promotion Practice, 7(4), 406–417.

37.

Slater

M. D.

Buller

D. B.

Waters

Archibeque

LeBlanc

(2003). A test of conversational and testimonial messages versus didactic presentations of nutrition information. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 35(5), 255–259.

38.

Smith-Young

Solberg

Gaudine

(2014). Constant negotiating: Managing work-related musculoskeletal disorders while remaining at the workplace. Qualitative Health Research, 24(2), 217–231. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732313519868

39.

Soeker

M. S.

Wegner

Pretorius

(2009). South African clients’ perceptions and experiences of adapting to their worker roles after rehabilitation. Work, 32(2), 133–143.

40.

van Krieken

K. W. M.

Sanders

J. M

. (2017). Engaging doctors and depressed patients. Effects of referential viewpoint and role similarity in health narratives. International Journal of Communication, 11, 4988–5006.

41.

Willis

(2018). How members of parliament understand and respond to climate change. The Sociological Review, 66(3), 475–491.

42.

Xiu

Dauner

K. N.

McIntosh

C. R.

(2019, November). The impact of organizational support for employees’ health on organizational commitment, intent to remain and job performance. Evidence-based HRM, 7(3), 281–299.

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.01 MB