Postural Awareness and Musculoskeletal Complaints

Musculoskeletal complaints are common among working adults and reflect demographic, occupational, ergonomic, and lifestyle-related influences. Whether postural awareness is associated with musculoskeletal complaints beyond these factors remains unclear. This study examined whether postural awareness was independently associated with the number of symptomatic body regions and regional musculoskeletal complaints among working adults. In this cross-sectional study, 212 working adults completed the Postural Awareness Scale (PAS), Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and questionnaires assessing demographic characteristics, occupational factors, perceived workplace ergonomics, and regular exercise. The primary outcome was the number of symptomatic body regions. Hierarchical Poisson regression with robust standard errors was used to assess the association between postural awareness and the primary outcome after sequential covariate adjustment. Generalized Poisson regression was performed as a sensitivity analysis. Prespecified robust logistic regression models examined neck, upper-back, lower-back, and shoulder complaints, with Holm correction for multiple comparisons.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged ≥18 years who were currently employed * Had maintained the same predominant working pattern for at least six months * Worked at least six hours per day * Were able to understand and complete the Turkish-language questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: * an inflammatory disease, fibromyalgia or another chronic widespread pain disorder, a neurological disorder, major musculoskeletal surgery during the preceding six months * acute musculoskeletal trauma * continuous use of analgesics, muscle relaxants, or systemic corticosteroids * pregnancy * professional-level sports participation * a diagnosed severe postural deformity.