Preventing WMSDs in Healthcare: A Study of Mental Workload, Psychosocial Factors, and Body Biomechanics

Recognizing that physical, psychosocial, and individual factors interplay in WMSDs, this research focuses on how heightened mental workload might influence body biomechanics, potentially increasing WMSD risk. The aim is to investigate the effects of mental workload on body behavior and its potential contribution to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among healthcare professionals. Conducted in a controlled laboratory setting, the study engages nursing students and professional nurses to simulate a realistic healthcare task, the insertion of a nasogastric tube, under varied mental workload conditions—baseline, auditory distractions, and interruptions.

Using a cross-sectional, repeated-measures design, this study incorporates both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Mental workload perceptions will be measured via the NASA Task Load Index and cortisol levels from saliva samples, while body biomechanics will be tracked through motion capture and ergonomic assessment tools. Statistical models will analyze how specific psychosocial stressors and individual factors (e.g., age, personality traits) affect mental workload and biomechanical responses.

Expected outcomes include identifying key psychosocial factors impacting mental workload, understanding their relationship with body posture and movement, and highlighting individual characteristics that may exacerbate WMSD risk. These insights will inform ergonomic interventions in healthcare, promoting safer workplace design by accounting for the mental and physical demands of healthcare workers. This research contributes to a holistic understanding of WMSDs and fosters proactive strategies for minimizing these disorders in high-stress healthcare environments.