Mohammad Rasim-ul Hasanat, Syed Shahzad Ali, Muhammad Khan, Abdur Rasheed.
Frequency and associated risk factors for neck pain among software engineers in Karachi, Pakistan.
J Pak Med Assoc Jan ;67(7):1009-12.

Objective: To determine the frequency of neck pain and its association with risk factors among software engineers. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, from February to March 2016, and comprised software engineers from 19 different locations. Non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to select individuals spending at least 6 hours in front of computer screens every day and having a work experience of at least 6 months. Data were collected using a self-administrable questionnaire. SPSS 21 was used for data analysis. Results: Of the 185 participants, 49(26.5%) had neck pain at the time of data-gathering, while 136(73.5%) reported no pain. However, 119(64.32%) participants had a previous history of neck pain. Other factors like smoking, physical inactivity, history of any muscular pain and neck pain, uncomfortable workstation, and work-related mental stress and insufficient sleep at night, were found to be significantly associated with current neck pain (p<0.05 each). Conclusion: Intensive computer users are likely to experience at least one episode of computer-associated neck pain.

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