Knowledge and attitudes on Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) towards MSD prevention practices among healthcare providers

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are particularly vulnerable to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to the physically demanding nature of their profession. Recent research highlights the widespread prevalence of these disorders among HCWs, yet it often goes undiagnosed, leading to long-term health consequences for individuals, organizations, and society. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes regarding MSDs and their preventive practices among HCWs, as well as to assess the relationship of knowledge and attitude on MSD and preventive practice. This study employed a descriptive and cross-sectional study. A total of 130 HCWs (doctors/ assistant medical officers/ nurses/ health assistants) working at the emergency department at Hospital Tuanku Jaafar Seremban were sampled using cluster disproportional simple random sampling. Data collection involved a self-administered questionnaire covering respondent sociodemographic information and a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) assessment on MSDs and MSD prevention practices. Results showed that the majority of the respondents possess a high knowledge and positive attitudes about MSDs. Furthermore, this study highlights a significant relationship between the HCWs attitudes on MSDs and the MSD preventive practices. However, despite good knowledge of MSD, there is still a large gap in practical preventative measures among HCW. This emphasizes the importance of coordinated joint efforts to bridge this gap and strengthen HCWs' preventative practice against MSDs. In conclusion, addressing the high prevalence of MSDs among HCWs necessitates collaborative efforts. Fostering a proactive culture of workplace safety and reorienting HCWs toward MSD preventative practices through a succinct and effective program could help to reduce the inadvertent high prevalence of MSDs.