Work characteristics, musculoskeletal disorders, and the mediating role of psychological strain: a study of call center employees

The demands of the modern office are thought to contribute to the development of musculoskeletal disorders. For upper body and lower back disorders, these effects are hypothesized to be mediated by psychological strain. A study of 936 employees from 22 call centers supports this hypothesis. Using lo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of applied psychology Vol. 92; no. 5; p. 1456
Main Authors Sprigg, Christine A, Stride, Christopher B, Wall, Toby D, Holman, David J, Smith, Phoebe R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.09.2007
Subjects
Absenteeism
Adult
Anxiety - epidemiology
Anxiety - psychology
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Musculoskeletal Diseases - epidemiology
Musculoskeletal Diseases - etiology
Stress, Psychological - epidemiology
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Workplace - psychology
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:The demands of the modern office are thought to contribute to the development of musculoskeletal disorders. For upper body and lower back disorders, these effects are hypothesized to be mediated by psychological strain. A study of 936 employees from 22 call centers supports this hypothesis. Using logistic regression and structural equation modeling, the authors found that the relationship of workload to upper body and lower back musculoskeletal disorders was largely accounted for by job-related strain. This mediating effect was less evident for arm disorders. Contrary to expectation, job autonomy had neither a direct nor a moderating effect on any musculoskeletal disorder.
ISSN:0021-9010
DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.92.5.1456