Association between psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among Malaysian traffic police in central region of Peninsular Malaysia

Yong, Ivy Yi Ling (2024) Association between psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among Malaysian traffic police in central region of Peninsular Malaysia. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

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Abstract

Introduction: Working in a stressful workplace environment and the demanding nature of the job have made traffic police more prone to developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Studies have shown that operational and organisational stressors had an impact on the development of MSDs among police personnel. MSDs among police can reduce work productivity, increase work absenteeism, increase the workload for their co-workers, and result in higher costs associated with treatment and rehabilitation. However, there is a lack of studies on association between psychosocial factors and MSDs among traffic police officers, as most studies only focus on ergonomics risk factors. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between psychosocial factors and MSDs among traffic police. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 77 male traffic police in Central Region of Peninsular Malaysia at Police District Headquarters, known as Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) for Selangor and federal territory of Putrajaya, as well as Kuala Lumpur Traffic Police Station. Simple random sampling was used to select the respondents who met inclusion criteria: male, aged between 18 to 60 years old, and worked at current police station for at least one year. Respondents who had been diagnosed with MSDs prior to working as traffic police officers were excluded. A set of self-administered questionnaires in Malay consisted of individual information, lifestyle information, occupational information, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), and Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) was utilised. RULA and REBA were used to assess potential awkward postures among traffic police. Results and Discussion: The prevalence of self-reported MSDs among traffic police was 61.0%. The body part with the highest prevalence of self-reported MSDs was neck (45.5%), followed by the shoulder (40.3%) and hips/thigh (35.1%). The prevalence of stress among traffic police was 87%, with 58.4% reported high stress for operational stressors (58.4%) and 42.9% reported high stress for organisational stressors. Awkward postures were observed among traffic police. Chi-Square test showed that only age was statistically significant association with MSDs (p<0.05). The association between psychosocial factors (stress) and MSDs among traffic police were not statistically significant (p >0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study provide an overview of the common psychosocial factors that cause high stress among traffic police in Central Region, as well as the prevalence of MSDs and stress. Further research was needed to determine the link between stress and MSDs, as findings of this study had noticed the concerning issues on the mental health and musculoskeletal health of traffic police, although stress was not associated with MSDs among traffic police in this study. Relevant authorities need to implement prompt action to reduce stress among traffic police, improve their well-being and reduce the risk of MSDs in the workplace. Keywords: Psychosocial factors, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Traffic Police, Central Region

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Science
Depositing User:	Ms Norafizah Radzuan
Date Deposited:	28 Apr 2025 04:57
Last Modified:	28 Apr 2025 04:57
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/2356

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