Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40611042›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and digitalization: past adoption, current utilization, and future concerns.

Young-Mee Kim, Sung-Il Cho

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Young-Mee KimDepartment of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea.
Sung-Il ChoDepartment of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea. persontime@hotmail.com.

Funding

National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) No.2022R1C1C2006424
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic rapidly accelerated workplace digitalization, significantly heightening concerns about its impact. While the physical risks associated with digitalization, particularly musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), have been widely studied, research on psychosocial factors-especially concerns about future digitalization-remains relatively limited. This study aimed to assess whether concerns about future digitalization are associated with MSDs, while considering past adoption and current utilization of digital technologies. Additionally, it examined the moderating effects of various factors, including socioeconomic and work-related variables, on this relationship.

methodsData from the 2020 Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS), which included a representative sample of 48,604 workers in South Korea, were analyzed. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the association between concerns about future digitalization and MSDs. The model controlled for past adoption and current utilization of digitalization, as well as other relevant covariates. Furthermore, interaction terms with moderating factors were incorporated to investigate potential moderating effects within the model.

resultsConcerns about future digitalization were significantly associated with the likelihood of MSDs, even after accounting for past adoption and current utilization (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04-1.14). The impact of these concerns on MSDs was moderated by education level, with higher education levels mitigating the effect (OR: 1.41 for below middle school, 0.85 for high school or college, and 0.71 for university or above).

conclusionsRecognizing concerns related to future digitalization as a critical psychosocial risk factor is essential, as they influence the development of MSDs. Future research should focus on alleviating these concerns and enhancing workers' resilience in increasingly digitalized work environments. These findings underscore the importance for policymakers and employers to incorporate psychosocial considerations into digital transition strategies and to provide targeted support for vulnerable worker populations.

Indexed as

COVID-19Digital TechnologyMusculoskeletal DiseasesOccupational DiseasesAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRepublic of KoreaSurveys and QuestionnairesWorkplaceAutomationCOVID-19DigitalizationMusculoskeletal disordersResilienceSouth Korea

Identifiers

PMID40611042
PMCPMC12225037

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.