Introduction:

The social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic has made it necessary to adapt to distance education.

Objective:

To determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and their association with ergonomic practices during computer use in students from a Peruvian university.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was carried out in October 2020. The sample consisted of 738 students, they had the standardized Nordic questionnaire to detect symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders; and another, developed by the authors, to evaluate ergonomic practices.

Results:

The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was 97.4%. The most affected regions were the neck (85.5%), the lumbar region (73%) and the dorsal region (70.2%). Students with history of trauma (PRa: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01-1.04) who, while using the computer, adopted the prone position (RPa: 1.02; 95% CI : 1.01-1.04) and sitting with head tilted (RPa: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00-1.07) had higher prevalence of a musculoskeletal disorder.

Conclusions:

There is high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in university students. The female sex and those who adopt incorrect postures while using the computer stand out; therefore, preventive and intervention ergonomic measures should be provided in this population.

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