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Examination of occupational and physical therapists' exposure to physical risk factors in outpatient rehabilitation settings using the workplace ergonomics risk assessment and pain scale.

Background: Healthcare providers experience a significant rate of nonfatal occupational injuries associated with their occupational duties and characteristics. Objective: This study aimed to gauge occupational and physical therapists' exposure to physical risk factors and pain levels related to pati...

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Published in:Work Vol. 84; no. 1; pp. 107 - 117
Main Authors: Alnaser, Musaed Z, Nadar, Mohammed Sh., Madouh, Fatma
Format: pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Sage Publications Inc. May2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: May2026
      vid: 84
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      pub: Sage Publications Inc.
      place: Thousand Oaks, California
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        10.1177/10519815251393213
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        atl: Examination of occupational and physical therapists' exposure to physical risk factors in outpatient rehabilitation settings using the workplace ergonomics risk assessment and pain scale.
      aug:
        au:
          Alnaser, Musaed Z
          Nadar, Mohammed Sh.
          Madouh, Fatma
        affil: Occupational Therapy Department, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kuwait University, Jabriya, Kuwait
      sug:
        subj:
          Occupational-Related Injuries Risk Factors
          Occupational Therapists Psychosocial Factors
          Physical Therapists Psychosocial Factors
          Risk Assessment
          Pain Measurement
          Patient Handling
          Rehabilitation Centers
          Outpatient Service
          Human
          Kuwait
          Female
          Male
          Nonexperimental Studies
          Descriptive Research
          Cross Sectional Studies
          Scales
          Ergonomics
          Work Environment
          Posture
          Vibration
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Body Regions Physiopathology
          Hospitals, Public
          Self Report
          Kruskal-Wallis Test
          Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient
          Post Hoc Analysis
          Power Analysis
          Confidence Intervals
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          Female
          Male
      ab: Background: Healthcare providers experience a significant rate of nonfatal occupational injuries associated with their occupational duties and characteristics. Objective: This study aimed to gauge occupational and physical therapists' exposure to physical risk factors and pain levels related to patient handling in outpatient rehabilitation settings. Methods: For this observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study design, the Workplace Ergonomics Risk Assessment (WERA) tool was used to collect real-time data, and a self-administered numeric pain intensity scale was utilized to rate pain levels. Results: The study included ninety-eight participants. The WERA overall final score showed that participants were exposed to moderate physical risk factors associated with Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). Postures and repetitions of the anatomical areas were positively correlated with the use of force, vibration tools, contact stress tools, and task duration. Pain ratings showed that most of the participants experienced moderate to severe physical pain immediately after therapy sessions. A Kruskal-Wallis H test revealed a statistically significant difference in the exposure to physical risk factors in outpatient rehabilitation settings. Conclusion: Participants were exposed to moderate levels of physical risk factors and moderate to severe pain that may lead to WMSDs. Participants working in pediatric settings experienced the most significant exposure to physical risk factors. Results from this observational study were consistent with those from self-reported studies involving WMSDs from different geographical regions worldwide.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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