The Investigation of musculoskeletal disorders, sleep quality, and fatigue of frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to compare musculoskeletal system complaints, fatique, and sleep quality in front-line and second line healthcare worker trating COVİD-19 patients. 152 healthcare worker between the ages of 18 and 65 who worked in outpatient clinics, services, COVİD-19 units, or administrative management were included in this study. Healthcare worker who had mission in the diagnosis, treatment, and isolation of patients diagnosed with COVİD-19 were determined as front-line workers (26F, 45M) and healthcare worker who didn’t have this kind of mission were defined as second-line workers (40F, 41M). After the collection of the participants “demographic data” the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), the Fatique Severity Scale (FSS), and the Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS) were used to assess the participant musculoskeletal pain, fatique, and sleep quality, respectively. A significant difference was found in the training time, job experience, and number of weekly shifts of healthcare workers working on the front-line healthcare workers compared to operating the second-line healthcare workers (p≤0.05). Front-line healthcare workers reported more neck and back pain, while second-line healthcare workers reported more lower back pain. It was found that front-line healthcare workers had higher levels of fatique severity (t(150): 4.264, p≤0.001, Cohen’s d:0.69), lower levels of sleep quality (t(150): 4.479, p≤0.001, Cohen’s d:0.72). Shift programs should be arranged to reduce fatique and sleep problems of front-line healthcare workers, and protective neck and back muscles exercise programs should be given for front and second-line healthcare workers.