Validation of a revised version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire

Project number: F 2457 Institution: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) / Berufsgenossenschaft für Gesundheitsdienst und Wohlfahrtspflege (BGW) Status: Ongoing Project Planned end: 2022-03-31

Description:

The standardised assessment of musculo-skeletal system disorders is vital if comparable, high-quality data about the impacts of heavy physical loads in working life are to be recorded. What is important in this context is where, how frequently and how severely disorders occur, and whether they result in individuals’ capabilities being restricted. Up until now, use has been made of the Standardised Nordic Questionnaire for the Analysis of Musculoskeletal Symptoms (NMQ; after Kuorinka et al. [1987]) for this purpose, although no scientifically validated version has been available in Germany. Furthermore, it is necessary to revise the sequence of questions in the questionnaire, as well as the design and selection of the questions themselves.

The aim of this project is to use the old Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire as the basis for drafting a short, modular questionnaire with which to assess musculo-skeletal system disorders. The quality of the revised version is then to be evaluated. This process will examine the questionnaire's validity, reliability, practicality and objectivity.

It will be possible to deploy the revised, updated version of the NMQ as a diagnostic tool in preventive occupational care. In particular, it will be suitable for use in optional prevention activities at workplaces where employees are exposed to physical workloads, and will support the care that is provided. Furthermore, analyses based on a standardised questionnaire about musculo-skeletal disorders can supply important evidence for risk assessments and can be drawn on to review changes in the workplace, as well as for other scientific studies conducted in companies.