Ergonomic Preferences and Future Perspectives to Prevent Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Information Technology Professionals: a Qualitative Study

The purpose of this study was to explore the preferences regarding the medium of prospective ergonomic training delivery and views about self-directed online training modules to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders in information technology (IT) professionals. An inductive method was employed to examine the experiences of fifteen information technology professionals from a mid-Atlantic state organization. To accomplish this, a qualitative research design was used to analyze data from semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the participants were aware of the risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders due to their work; and had made adjustments to their work-stations. Findings indicated that many of the participants had an initial preference of a one-on-one interactive approach for ergonomic education, while some preferred the online medium of delivery for future potential interventions in their workplace. A combination of delivery approaches along with follow-up was viewed as a future perspective. Participants perceived that the online medium of ergonomic delivery had the potential to be relevant and trustworthy and would empower them, if implemented by their organization. Implications for research and practice based on the findings are discussed along with identification of several pertinent future research questions emerging from the study.