Organizational aspects of the work and musculoskeletal disorders: a study of workers from elderly long term permanence institutions

Abstract

This exploratory study had the objective of investigate with the worker's perceptions bases and activities analyses the relationship in between the musculoskeletal disorders of assistance/care of aging workers and work organizational aspects in two long permanence of aging people institutions in Santos-SP city. The materials and methods consisted in workers' selection, elaboration of a questionnaire containing demographic data and questions related to the work and others; the Nordic Questionnaire for Musculoskeletal Disorder, survey of the tasks and systematic observations of activities; selection for observations: the bath, the diaper changes, transferences and transferring of the oldies; and as complements semi-open recorded interviews next to workers with pain in the last 30 days. Participated in this study 50 workers, with age in between 21 to 66 years old, and from these 76,0% related musculoskeletal pain in the last 30 days, with greatest commitment in the lower back region. In both Institutions were identified physical overload and mental consuming; and work organizational related aspects by some worker's perceptions in both institutions. This study highlights the importance of the organizational and psychosocial aspects in the work related musculoskeletal pain.