Ergonomic Risk Factors of Teleworking in Ecuador during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

César Larrea-Araujo, José Ayala-Granja, Andrea Vinueza-Cabezas and Patricia Acosta-Vargas
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César Larrea-Araujo: Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Carrera de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador
José Ayala-Granja: Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Carrera de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador
Andrea Vinueza-Cabezas: Escuela de Psicología, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador
Patricia Acosta-Vargas: Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Carrera de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, guidelines for people’s confinement have been implemented to prevent the disease’s spread. As a result of this, companies have implemented teleworking as an emerging way to work from home using information technology. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ecuador, with a sample of 204 teleworkers in the city of Quito. The results show that the teleworkers rearranged their bedrooms to carry out their activities. The respondents in each age group stated they did not perceive more significant ailments than those experienced before beginning teleworking. The relationships between the variables were analyzed utilizing the Chi-Square test and Fisher’s exact test, finding a relationship between neck ailments and age of p = 0.031 * and between arm/forearm ailments of p = 0.032 *. This study contributes to a greater understanding of the ergonomic situation of the teleworkers and provides us with information to mitigate the ergonomic risks to which they are exposed.

Keywords: ergonomics; COVID-19; human factors; safety; teleworking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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