Musculoskeletal Pain in Medical Laboratory Personnel: A Cross-Sectional Study

Details

• Journal Article:
  American Journal of Clinical Pathology
• Personal Author:
  Nuñez Argote, Letycia C. ; Saint Onge, Jarron M. ; Ablah, Elizabeth ; Williams, Jessica A.
• Description:
  Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among the laboratory workforce in the United States. Methods: An electronic survey was used to gather data from laboratory workers between October 2021 and February 2022. The instrument included the Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, as well as personal and work-related questions. A summary of descriptive statistics and a multivariable analysis using self-reported musculoskeletal pain in the past 7 days were performed. Results: Of 518 medical laboratory professionals in the study, 94% reported musculoskeletal pain in at least 1 body site in the past 12 months, with many experiencing pain in the past 7 days. The sites where musculoskeletal pain was most often reported in the past week included lower back (39%), neck (38%), and shoulders (34%). Sex, race and ethnicity, time in the profession, job title, and organization type were associated with recent musculoskeletal pain. Conclusions: A high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was documented among medical laboratory personnel. Characterizing musculoskeletal pain in this population can help researchers understand the physiologic impacts of long-term exposure to laboratory work, as well as implement and evaluate prevention and risk reduction measures. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Ergonomics
  • Musculoskeletal Diseases
  • Musculoskeletal System
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • Musculoskeletal disorders
  • MSD
  • Cross sectional studies
  • Medical personnel
  • Laboratory workers
  • Low back pain
  • Health surveys
  • Ergonomics
  • Author Keywords: medical laboratory personnel
  • musculoskeletal pain
  More +
• ISSN:
  0002-9173
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Atlanta Region OSHA ; Iowa ; Kansas ; Kansas City Region OSHA ; North Carolina ; Pennsylvania ; Philadelphia Region OSHA
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  13 pdf pages
• Volume:
  165
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071831
• Citation:
  Am J Clin Pathol 2026 Jun; 165(6):1-12
• Contact Point Address:
  Letycia C. Nuñez Argote, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM, Department of Population Health Management and Policy, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
• Email:
  lcnunezargote@ncat.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  2006/09/01
• End Date:
  2026/08/31
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/260054/cdc_260054_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.30 MB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:45b9f9ddd4067a5d4f660f02ba2f797f019b945c8c68385f9f59f0486b01069368a6f28d5d8bad4f0507840de566ef6e0fbce3e5a852284b57b6e832197f9c27