¹Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Sankt Augustin, Germany
²Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bochum, Germany
³German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the woodworking and metalworking industries (BGHM), Düsseldorf, Germany
⁴German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the administrative sector (VBG), Hamburg, Germany

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Introduction: When working remotely, using inadequate information and communication technology (ICT) devices or ergonomically poor work equipment can potentially contribute to the development of eye and/or musculoskeletal complaints (MSC). The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the influence of the ergonomic setup of the workplace at home on the physical health of visual display terminal (VDT) workers.

Methods: An online survey was conducted between September 2023 and April 2024 in collaboration with multiple accident insurance institutions in Germany. The analysis was based on 1,070 valid questionnaires using univariate and multiple logistic regression. The data were investigated for a correlation between the ergonomic setup of the home workplace and MSC or eye complaints in the last four weeks, the tasks performed and other factors which might influence the outcomes (e.g., age, BMI, symptoms of anxiety and depression, physical activity and gender). The ergonomic status of the home workspace was assessed, and scores were developed to rate musculoskeletal and visual exposures. The pain experienced was documented on a numerical rating scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (most severe pain imaginable). The eye complaints were recorded using a combination of frequency and intensity metrics for 16 distinct symptoms, with ‘never’ denoting absence of symptoms and ‘frequently’ indicating presence of symptoms.

Results: The results of the study indicate that the majority of the participants had adequate ergonomic workplace equipment in their home (75% of n = 880 participants with a calculated score). The presence of inadequate ergonomic workplace equipment was found to be associated with an elevated risk of upper/lower back (OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.1-2.45 and OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.12-2.8) and neck complaints (OR 1.44; 95% CI 0.94-2.19), though the latter failed to achieve statistical significance. Interestingly, shoulder complaints were associated with the linear factor of time spent working from home (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01-1.04) even for participants working in mixed models from the office and from home. Furthermore, symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as sex influenced complaints in several areas of the body. The most prevalent ocular symptoms encompassed a burning sensation in the eyes and a perceived reduced sight. The presence of computer vision syndrome (32% of n = 738) was found to be associated with inadequate visual-ergonomic quality of the VDT workstation (OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.08-2.48). Compared to other participants individuals who used reading glasses were observed to be more prone to experiencing eye complaints (OR 1.93; 95% CI 1.22-3.06). Most associations observed in the univariate analysis were confirmed in the multiple regression analysis.

Discussion: Employees working with VDTs in mixed models who had inadequate ergonomic working conditions at home displayed increased odds for developing musculoskeletal or eye complaints. The scores to rate musculoskeletal and visual exposures can be used and further developed for evaluation and risk assessment.

Conclusion: Consequently, a careful instruction of employees on workplace setup at home can contribute to prevent MSC and eye complaints.