Musculoskeletal Disorders and Psychosocial Risk Factors among Veterinarians in Queensland, Australia

摘要

Although Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) represent one of the most important occupational health issues in contemporary society, few studies have specifically looked at MSD among veterinarians. For this investigation, an anonymous questionnaire survey was mailed to all veterinarians registered with the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Queensland in 2006. Almost two-thirds of the respondents experienced MSD of the lower back, 57% had experienced neck MSD, 52% had experienced shoulder MSD and 34% had experienced upper back MSD in the previous 12-months. MSD was statistically correlated with range of psychosocial factors during this study, including stress related with their career structure, time pressures, client's attitude, lack of recognition by the public, lack of recognition by colleagues, lack of understanding from their family or partners and work stress due to insufficient holidays each year. Overall, this study has demonstrated significant correlations between MSD and psychosocial risk factors among a large cohort of veterinarians for what appears to be the first time. Our investigation also suggests that personal and workplace issues may contribute more to the development of MSD among veterinarians than many of the previously recognised ergonomic risk factors.