Sonographer Scanning Practices and Musculoskeletal Injury: Evaluation of an Occupational Health Issue Using the Health Belief Model

Musculoskeletal injury (MSI) is a multifactorial occupational health problem affecting sonographers. Potential contributing factors to the development of MSI include the repetitive motion involved in the practice of diagnostic medical sonography, the design of the ultrasound equipment and workstations, patient volume, and sonographer work practices. This descriptive feasibility study evaluated the factors influencing sonographers’ use of self-protective scanning practices and was informed by some isolated constructs of the health belief model. Scanning practices, attitudes, and beliefs about MSI were collected in surveys before and after an educational seminar about MSI. The instrument that was developed can now be used for a larger data collection on this topic. Areas that remain to be addressed by the instrument include barriers to the adoption of self-protective scanning practices and the role self-efficacy in MSI prevention.