Factors Associated with Musculoskeletal Symptoms Among Students Learning from Home During COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia

Musculoskeletal Symptoms (MSS) are common in the working and education sectors. Previously many studies reported that students had MSS during their studies on campus. The global pandemic COVID-19 that happened in 2020 has forced all students to learn from home with minimal facilities that might affect their MSS. The aim of this study is to determine the factors associated with the prevalence of MSS among students learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. A self-administered, validated and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic background, social lifestyle, ergonomics aspects, musculoskeletal symptoms and negative emotional state. The questionnaire was distributed from March to May 2021 among students learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia (N = 717). Among 717 respondents, 666 (92.9%) have a prevalence of MSS during online learning at home. Analysis found that female students, students that used mobile phones, used built-in keyboards, had noise distraction and type ventilation that used by students including depression scores influenced the prevalence of MSS. Gender, usage of built-in keyboard, noise distraction and fan as ventilation were found as predictors for the prevalence of MSS in this study. This study’s findings showed a significant association between sociodemographic background, ergonomics aspects and negative emotional state with the prevalence of MSS among students learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia.