Cross-Sectional Study on Musculoskeletal Discomfort Among Air Traffic Controllers

• Published in: Springer Series in Design and Innovation
• Main Author: Raheimi A.; Rahman S.M.B.A.; Zakaria N.A.C.
• Format: Book chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Nature 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85198124231&doi=10.1007%2f978-3-031-60863-6_25&partnerID=40&md5=991c0d97fb54ca0784dc53ec20e64de5

The purpose of this research is to study the musculoskeletal discomfort that occurs among Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) and further understand the effect of prolonged sitting as an ATCO which may cause fatigue and musculoskeletal discomfort. Even though there have been numerous studies on musculoskeletal discomfort due to sitting, there is still a lack of studies on musculoskeletal discomfort among ATCOs. The research focused on determining the body parts affected by musculoskeletal discomfort among ATCOs. To fulfill the objective of the study, a survey was conducted with ATCOs at Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre (KLATCC) using Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). The survey was conducted for 5 days at night for 2 h from 19th December 2022 until 23rd December 2022. The sample size for this research was 85. 55.4% of 56 male ATCOs and 75.9% of 29 female ATCOs reported experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort at the neck for the past 12 months, which has the highest percentage. The prevalence of neck discomfort is 0.63 times higher in female ATCOs with height of 157 cm or more compared to those with height of less than 157 cm. Meanwhile, ATCOs with a BMI equal to or greater than 25 experience 1.24 times more neck discomfort than those with a BMI less than 25. Finally, the prevalence of neck discomfort is 1.18 times higher for air traffic controllers over the age of 40. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.