Mental workload, musculoskeletal disorders, and associated factors among international transport truck drivers.

Introduction: Many health changes are related to how individuals respond to work events that are influenced by organizational, physical, and human factors.
Objectives: We aim to evaluate the mental workload, the manifestation of musculoskeletal disorders, the associated factors, and their relationships among international transport truck drivers.
Methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional diagnostic study of 70 truck drivers who entered the intermodal terminal of the city of Uruguaiana, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in January 2021. Participants completed the NASA Task Load Index questionnaire and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Symptom Questionnaire, along with questions about work characteristics and health care.
Results: The results showed that most truck drivers have a high mental workload (90.0%) and have experienced musculoskeletal symptoms in the past 12 months (72.9%). In addition, this occupational group has characteristics that are predictive of health problems, as most work over 10 hours a day (61.5%). The results also show a correlation between mental workload, hours worked, and lower back injuries (p < 0.05). There is also an association between hours worked and the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders in the neck, shoulders, and lower back in the past 12 months and in the shoulders and lower back in the past 7 days, especially for those who work over 12 hours a day.
Conclusions: The population studied had a high mental workload and a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders as well as occupational characteristics predictive of harm to both physical and mental health.
Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: None