Musculoskeletal Pain Among University Faculty: A Cross-Sectional Study of Prevalence, Determinants, and Associations with Work Performance and Occupational Stress

J Pain Res. 2026 Feb 21;19:575383. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S575383. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Faculty members are considered highly exposed to work-related injuries such as work-related stress (WRS) and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) among faculty members and explore its association with work performance, occupational factors and WRS.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted between September 2023 and August 2024 and enrolled 369 faculty members from various universities who completed a self-administered online questionnaire. Musculoskeletal pain was evaluated with the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), psychological stress with the Workplace Stress Scale (WSS), and work performance-covering absenteeism, presenteeism, and functional capacity-with the WHO Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ). Binary logistic regression and multiple linear regression were used to identify predictors of pain and work performance outcomes.

RESULTS: A total of 92.6% of participants reported experiencing pain in at least one body region annually, and 74% reported pain weekly, with 64.4% experiencing pain in three or more regions. The most commonly affected areas were the shoulders at 69.1%, the neck at 66.9%, and the lower back at 59.3%. Psychological stress levels were highest among those with lower limb pain and among participants with multisite involvement. MSP was associated with reduced work functioning and presenteeism, but not absenteeism. Higher stress, uncomfortable posture, female gender, obesity, and repetitive movements were significant predictors of MSP. Stress and lower limb pain predicted impaired work functioning.

CONCLUSION: Musculoskeletal pain and psychological stress were highly prevalent among academic faculty and were associated with reduced work functioning and productivity. These findings highlight the need for targeted ergonomic interventions and stress management strategies to promote health and maintain performance in academic work settings.

PMID:41755907 | PMC:PMC12935509 | DOI:10.2147/JPR.S575383