Musculoskeletal Pains among Phlebotomists in Outpatient Clinics: Prevalence and Association with Personal Factors and Ergonomic Analysis of the Workstation

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal problems reported by phlebotomists, and the association of these problems with workstation characteristics and personal factors. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to phlebotomists (n = 115; 65.2% response rate). In addition to the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, we asked respondents to provide sociodemographic data. An ergonomic score was used for the characterization of workstations. Results: Symptoms in at least 1 body area within a year were reported by 80.7% of the participants. The lower back, neck, and shoulders were the most common areas in which symptoms occurred (72.7%, 60.9%, and 59%, respectively); these were also the areas with the highest incidence of symptoms disrupting work. A logistic regression model for predicting pain within a year found adequate leg space as a significant component of the ergonomic score (P = .045, OR = 0.222), which was also a protective factor for neck pain disrupting work (P = .047, OR = 0.385). Conclusions: Musculoskeletal problems among phlebotomists were high. Therefore, the positive effects of simple ergonomic measures should be confirmed in further research.