Risk Assessment of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Care for Older Adults: A Study on Care Technicians for Older Adults

This study aims to evaluate musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic risk factors among elderly care technicians. Adopting a near-census design, the study included 52 elderly care technicians (94.5% participation rate) working in a public institution. Musculoskeletal disorders of employees were assessed using the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire, while ergonomic risk levels were analyzed with the QEC (Quick Exposure Check) method method using representative task photographs. The obtained data were statistically examined using independent sample t-tests and One-Way ANOVA, supplemented by post-hoc power and effect size analyses. According to the analysis results, the body regions most frequently reported with discomfort among elderly care personnel were the lower back, knees, back, and neck. The QEC analysis revealed the highest-risk tasks to be transferring elderly individuals (75%), toilet assistance (73%), and repositioning elderly persons in bed (67%). Large effect sizes and high observed power were observed primarily for gender and professional experience after Bonferroni correction (p < .0042), while age- and education-related patterns were interpreted as exploratory trends. The study demonstrates that elderly care personnel are highly exposed to ergonomic risks and commonly experience musculoskeletal disorders. Preventive measures should prioritize a hierarchy of controls, focusing on engineering controls, such as mechanical support during resident transfers, and should be complemented by task redesign and structured staff training within a broader risk-management framework. Future studies should focus on longitudinal research assessing the long-term impacts of ergonomic improvements and comparing different ergonomic analysis methods.