The relationship between Lifestyle and Mental Workload with the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Discomfort: A Case Study in the Automotive Industry

Background and Objective: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are among the most common types of occupational diseases. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between lifestyle and mental workload components with the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in employees working in the automotive industry. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 303 employees working in a car manufacturing complex in Iran. The required data related to demographic characteristics, the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort, lifestyle, and mental workload were collected using demographic, Cornell, Walker health-promoting lifestyle, and NASA-TLX questionnaires, respectively. Results: According to the results, 70.70% of the participants experienced musculoskeletal disorders in at least one of their organs. Moreover, musculoskeletal disorders were significantly correlated with age and work experience (individual characteristics); responsibility, health concerns, and exercise (lifestyle); as well as physical workload and time pressure (mental workload) (P<0.05). Conclusion: The present study results revealed a high prevalence rate of musculoskeletal disorders in the automotive industry; moreover, lifestyle and mental workload parameters are among the most critical risk factors in the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. Accordingly, it is necessary to take measures by monitoring individual, physical, and cognitive risk factors to reduce the prevalence of these disorders.