Ergonomic Risk Factors Associated with Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Iranian Workers: A Scoping Review Ergonomic Risk Factors Associated with Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders
Journal of Clinical Physiotherapy Research,
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026),
8 Bahman 2026
,
Page 1-17
https://doi.org/10.22037/jcpr.v11i1.53379
Abstract
Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are major occupational health problems linked to various ergonomic and biomechanical exposures. This scoping review aimed to map the available evidence on ergonomic risk factors associated with WMSDs among Iranian workers, focusing on occupational groups, ergonomic exposures, musculoskeletal outcomes, and assessment methods. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched from database inception to September 2026. Eligible studies were those conducted in Iran that examined ergonomic or physical/biomechanical risk factors in relation to WMSDs or musculoskeletal symptoms among workers. Two reviewers independently performed study selection. Findings were synthesized descriptively and narratively without quantitative pooling. Results: Thirty-one studies met the inclusion criteria and covered diverse occupational settings, including industrial and manufacturing, agricultural, office, healthcare, and service jobs. The most frequently investigated ergonomic risk factors were awkward or sustained postures, repetitive movements, manual handling, physical workload, force exertion, prolonged standing or sitting, and workstation-related factors. RULA, QEC, REBA, and ROSA were the most commonly used assessment methods. Musculoskeletal outcomes most often involved the low back, neck, shoulders, upper extremities, and multiple body regions. Higher ergonomic exposure or risk scores were frequently associated with greater musculoskeletal symptoms. Several studies that evaluated ergonomic interventions generally reported improvements in musculoskeletal outcomes or reductions in ergonomic risk. Conclusion: Substantial ergonomic risks exist across diverse Iranian occupational groups, although the distribution of evidence remains uneven. Greater standardization of ergonomic and musculoskeletal assessments, inclusion of underrepresented occupations, and further evaluation of targeted workplace interventions are needed.
- Work-related musculoskeletal disorders
- Ergonomic risk factors
- Occupational ergonomics
- Occupational exposure
- Iran
- Iranian workers
How to Cite
References
1. Sebbag E, Felten R, Sagez F, Sibilia J, Devilliers H, Arnaud L. The world-wide burden of musculoskeletal diseases: a systematic analysis of the World Health Organization Burden of Diseases Database. Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 2019;78(6):844–8.
2. Hulshof CT, Pega F, Neupane S, van der Molen HF, Colosio C, Daams JG, et al. The prevalence of occupational exposure to ergonomic risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury. Environment international. 2021;146:106157.
3. Oakman J, Macdonald WA, Mccredie K, Clune S. Impact of work-related psychosocial versus biomechanical hazards on risk of musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Ergonomics. 2025;125:104481.
4. Valentim DP, Comper MLC, Sandy Medeiros Rodrigues Cirino L, da Silva PR, Padilha Alonso Gomes M, Martins da Silva A, et al. Observational methods for the analysis of biomechanical exposure in the workplace: a systematic review. Ergonomics. 2025;68(10):1561–82.
5. Hassani M, Karanikas N. Scoping review of studies on work-related musculoskeletal disorders: Quality of evidence, coverage of risk factors and types of risk assessment tools used. Work. 2026;83(2):271–89.
6. Mohammadipour F, Pourranjbar M, Naderi S, Rafie F. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Iranian office workers: prevalence and risk factors. Journal of medicine and life. 2018;11(4):328.
7. Mohammadian M, Mollahoseini S, Naghibzadeh-Tahami A. Musculoskeletal disorders among office workers: prevalence, ergonomic risk factors, and their interrelationships. Scientific Reports. 2025;15(1):45425.
8. Parno A, Sayehmiri K, Parno M, Khandan M, Poursadeghiyan M, Maghsoudipour M, et al. The prevalence of occupational musculoskeletal disorders in Iran: A meta-analysis study. Work. 2017;58(2):203–14.
9. Raei M, Roveshti MM, Pouya AB, Sahlabadi AS, Poursadeghiyan M, Valipour F. Musculoskeletal disorders and related risk factors in Iranian military personnel: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Iranian Journal of Public Health. 2024;53(11):2419.
10. Choobineh A, Lahmi M, Shahnavaz H, Khani Jazani R, Hosseini M. Musculoskeletal symptoms as related to ergonomic factors in Iranian hand-woven carpet industry and general guidelines for workstation design. International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics. 2004;10(2):157–68.
11. Choobineh A, Tabatabaei SH, Mokhtarzadeh A, Salehi M. Musculoskeletal problems among workers of an Iranian rubber factory. Journal of occupational health. 2007;49(5):418–23.
12. Choobineh A, Tabatabaee SH, Behzadi M. Musculoskeletal problems among workers of an Iranian sugar-producing factory. International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics. 2009;15(4):419–24.
13. Nejad NH, Choobineh A, Rahimifard H, Haidari HR, Reza Tabatabaei SH. Musculoskeletal risk assessment in small furniture manufacturing workshops. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics. 2013;19(2):275–84.
14. Kamalinia M, Saraji GN, Kee D, Hosseini M, Choobineh A. Postural loading assessment in assembly workers of an Iranian telecommunication manufacturing company. International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics. 2013;19(2):311–9.
15. Ghasemkhani M, Mahmudi E, Jabbari H. Musculoskeletal symptoms in workers. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics. 2008;14(4):455–62.
16. Motamedzade M, Mohseni M, Golmohammadi R, Mahjoob H. Ergonomics intervention in an Iranian television manufacturing industry. Work. 2011;38(3):257–63.
17. Dianat I, Salimi A. Working conditions of Iranian hand-sewn shoe workers and associations with musculoskeletal symptoms. Ergonomics. 2014;57(4):602–11.
18. Dianat I, Kord M, Yahyazade P, Karimi MA, Stedmon AW. Association of individual and work-related risk factors with musculoskeletal symptoms among Iranian sewing machine operators. Applied ergonomics. 2015;51:180–8.
19. Labbafinejad Y, Imanizade Z, Danesh H. Ergonomic risk factors and their association with lower back and neck pain among pharmaceutical employees in Iran. Workplace health & safety. 2016;64(12):586–95.
20. Veisi H, Choobineh A, Ghaem H. Musculoskeletal problems in Iranian hand-woven shoe-sole making operation and developing guidelines for workstation design. The international journal of occupational and environmental medicine. 2016;7(2):87.
21. Besharati A, Daneshmandi H, Zareh K, Fakherpour A, Zoaktafi M. Work-related musculoskeletal problems and associated factors among office workers. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics. 2020;26(3):632–8.
22. Khademi J, Charkazi A, Rajabi A, Rahimifard H, Sohrabi M, Heidari H. Musculoskeletal symptoms related to workstation design, an ergonomic mismatch between office furniture, and anthropometric measures among office staff. Work. 2025;82(4):994–1007.
23. Ebrahimi M, Kordestani F, Ghasemi M. The correlation between workplace ergonomics and musculoskeletal complains in Iranian technical and vocational training organization; a semi-quantitative study to provide preventive educational strategies. Journal of Education and Health Promotion. 2026;15:107.
24. Houshyar E, Kim I-J. Understanding musculoskeletal disorders among Iranian apple harvesting laborers: Ergonomic and stop watch time studies. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 2018;67:32–40.
25. Momeni Z, Choobineh A, Razeghi M, Ghaem H, Azadian F, Daneshmandi H. Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among agricultural workers: a cross-sectional study in Iran. Journal of agromedicine. 2020;25(3):339–48.
26. Dianat I, Afshari D, Sarmasti N, Sangdeh MS, Azaddel R. Work posture, working conditions and musculoskeletal outcomes in agricultural workers. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 2020;77:102941.
27. Karimi A, Dianat I, Barkhordari A, Yusefzade I, Rohani-Rasaf M. A multicomponent ergonomic intervention involving individual and organisational changes for improving musculoskeletal outcomes and exposure risks among dairy workers. Applied Ergonomics. 2020;88:103159.
28. Aghakhani N, Haghdost AA, Hojati H. Relationship between the musculoskeletal disorders with the ergonomic factors in nurses. Koomesh. 2011;12(12):372–8.
29. Tabrizi A, Babazadeh Choobtarash A, Darzi M, Olazadeh K, Paridokht F, Salehi Sahlabadi A. Investigation of the association between ergonomic conditions of nursing workstations and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders among nurses: a case study in selected hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of medical sciences. BMC nursing. 2025;24(1):1504.
30. Sarmadi S, Sanaie N, Boozari Pour M, Zare-Kaseb A. Physical workload and musculoskeletal disorders among hospital health workers in Tehran, Iran: a cross-sectional study. Scientific Reports. 2026.
31. Choobineh A, Tabatabaei SH, Tozihian M, Ghadami F. Musculoskeletal problems among workers of an Iranian communication company. Indian journal of occupational and environmental medicine. 2007;11(1):32.
32. Daneshmandi H, Kee D, Kamalinia M, Oliaei M, Mohammadi H. An ergonomic intervention to relieve musculoskeletal symptoms of assembly line workers at an electronic parts manufacturer in Iran. Work. 2019;61(4):515–21.
33. Khoshakhlagh AH, Majdabadi MA, Yazdanirad S. The impact of ergonomic-educational interventions on reduction of musculoskeletal symptoms among employees of oil and gas installations in Iran. Work. 2022;71(3):651–60.
34. Fouladi-Dehaghi B, Tajik R, Ibrahimi-Ghavamabadi L, Sajedifar J, Teimori-Boghsani G, Attar M. Physical risks of work-related musculoskeletal complaints among quarry workers in East of Iran. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 2021;82:103107.
35. Yazdanirad S, Pourtaghi G, Raei M, Ghasemi M. Development of modified rapid entire body assessment (MOREBA) method for predicting the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplaces. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2022;23(1):82.
36. Motamedzadeh M, Jalali M, Golmohammadi R, Faradmal J, Zakeri HR, Nasiri I. Ergonomic risk factors and musculoskeletal disorders in bank staff: an interventional follow-up study in Iran. Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association. 2021;96(1):34.
37. Aghilinejad M, Bahrami-Ahmadi A, Kabir-Mokamelkhah E, Sarebanha S, Hosseini H, Sadeghi Z. The effect of three ergonomics training programs on the prevalence of low-back pain among workers of an Iranian automobile factory: a randomized clinical trial. The international journal of occupational and environmental medicine. 2014;5(2):65.
38. Hemati K, Darbandi Z, Kabir-Mokamelkhah E, Poursadeghiyan M, Ghasemi MS, Mohseni-Ezhiye M, et al. Ergonomic intervention to reduce musculoskeletal disorders among flour factory workers. Work. 2020;67(3):611–8.
39. Roveshti MM, Raei M, Valipour F. The Impact of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Occupational Risk Factors on the Physical Status of Iranian Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review. Iran J Ergon. 2023;11(2):137–47.
- Abstract Viewed: 15 times
- 2026.11.53379/ PDF Downloaded: 5 times
