NWODE LUCY CHIOMA

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a significant public health concern globally, affecting individuals across various occupations, and academic staffs are at risk of Work related musculoskeletal disorders due to the nature of their work which involves prolonged sitting, repetitive tasks, and ergonomic challenges in their workplaces. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Musculoskeletal symptoms and identify the key determinants contributing to these symptoms among academic staff in university of Benin, Edo state. Methods: Purposive sampling was used to select 14 faculties in UNIBEN, and 180 lecturers were randomly selected from each faculty. An adapted version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic data and MSK symptoms, while descriptive statistics and inferential statistics of Chi square were used to summarise and analyse data respectively. Alpha level was 0.05. Results: This study showed that musculoskeletal symptoms were most prevalent in the upper back (50.3%), closely followed by knee (41.3%), lower back (40.2%) and neck (37.4%). Gender and BMI status had significant association with Musculoskeletal symptoms (P<0.05). Conclusion: The burden of musculoskeletal disorders among academic staff of the University of Benin was common, with gender and BMI having significant association with Musculoskeletal symptoms. Keywords: Musculoskeletal disorders, Musculoskeletal symptoms, Prevalence , Determinant