Objective: Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to explore the relationship between anthropometric measurements, job strain and work organization factors and the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms/occupational injuries in medical sonographers.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of twenty-six female sonographers at a tertiary medical center completed a standardized symptom questionnaire and underwent anthropometric measurement. First aid events and OSHA reportable injuries were abstracted from employee health records.
Results: 96% of subjects reported some type of musculoskeletal symptoms within the past year, with shoulders (73%), low back (69%) and wrist/hand symptoms (54%) reported most often. PCA identified seven domains among the predictive variables: physical size, job strain, time on job, abdominal girth, work pace/variability, movement during study, and time spent standing. The magnitude and direction of effect for predicting musculoskeletal symptoms varied by symptom location. Abdominal girth was consistently associated with increased likelihood of reporting symptoms.
Conclusion: Sonographers work in a high demand/low control environment. Future studies of sonographers may need to include measures of both physical size and job strain. Reducing risk factors for one anatomical location may increase the risk at another location in this population.