Impact and prevention of sedentary behavior on musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace: a meta-analysis and LDA topic model

Sedentary behavior is a significant risk factor for musculoskeletal disorders. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the relationship between sedentary behavior and MSDs in the workplace, identifying affected body regions and exploring potential prevention strategies. A systematic search of six public databases (Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE, PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase) was conducted following predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. After duplicate removal and multi-stage screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts, 33 studies were included in the meta-analysis. In parallel, 75 eligible full-text articles were analyzed using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling to identify thematic patterns related to prevention strategies. Various industry types entail different risks of musculoskeletal disorders and varying degrees of harm to body regions. Among indoor occupations, the prevalence rates were as follows: handicraft industry, 54.5% (95% CI: 43.7–65.1); service industry, 28.8% (95% CI: 24.4–33.4); manufacturing industry, 23.9% (95% CI: 17.6–30.9); and medical industry, 37.9% (95% CI: 26.4–50.1). Outdoor occupations exhibited a prevalence rate of 53.8% (95% CI: 41.6–65.7). Effective prevention identified included workplace improvements, sitting posture assessments, torso tilting, intermittent standing or exercise, professional ergonomic training, and personal health awareness initiatives. These findings offer valuable insights into musculoskeletal disorders and provide practical prevention recommendations for workers across various industries who engage in prolonged sitting.