A range of factors were identified as predictive of MSD discomfort: physical demands,workload, gender, work-home balance and psychosocial factors.
A key aspect of the current studywas to consider differences between developed and developing countries in relation to MSDs.
A key difference was the low contribution of psychosocial factors to the development of MSD discomfort, which is in contrast to findings of previous studies in developed countries. The significant role of work-home balance was an interesting finding. Little research has been undertaken in Malaysia with regards to the relationship between work-home balance and MSDs. These findings suggests differences between models of causation exist, but require further exploration using longitudinal study designs to fully explore the role of the work environment in Malaysia and other developing countries in the development of work-related MSD discomfort.