An observational study in Musculoskeletal Discomfort, Ergonomic Risk Perception and Protective Ergonomic Behaviours, sponsored by Mardin Artuklu University. Recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-14.
Sponsored by Mardin Artuklu University · Observational
The aim of this observational study is to assess regional musculoskeletal discomfort, ergonomic risk perception, and protective ergonomic behaviors among undergraduate midwifery students at Mardin Artuklu University, Türkiye. The study will also examine the relationship between clinical task exposure and regional musculoskeletal discomfort among students with clinical practice experience.
Participants will complete a single online survey covering demographic and academic characteristics, musculoskeletal discomfort, ergonomic risk perception, protective ergonomic behaviors, physical activity, sleep quality, and trait anxiety. Students with clinical practice experience will additionally answer questions about their exposure to specific clinical tasks and postures. No intervention will be administered.
This cross-sectional observational study will recruit undergraduate midwifery students aged 18 years or older at Mardin Artuklu University, Türkiye. Participants will provide electronic informed consent and complete a single online survey.
Regional musculoskeletal discomfort will be assessed using the Turkish version of the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire. Researcher-developed items will assess ergonomic risk perception and protective ergonomic behaviors. Students with clinical practice experience will additionally report their exposure to specific clinical tasks and postures during the preceding four weeks of clinical practice. Physical activity, sleep quality, and trait anxiety will be assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Trait Anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, respectively.
Musculoskeletal discomfort will be compared across academic years. Associations with ergonomic risk perception and protective ergonomic behaviors will be examined while accounting for academic year, body mass index, physical activity, sleep quality, and trait anxiety. Associations between clinical task exposure and regional discomfort will be explored among students with clinical practice experience.
2,646 studies on the registry are indexed under Motor Activity; 1,205 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 323 is above the median of 100 across 318 observational studies indexed under Motor Activity.
Browse Motor Activity studies →Mardin Artuklu University is the lead sponsor of 32 studies on the registry; 13 are open to participants now.
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Undergraduate midwifery students aged 18 years or older enrolled in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Mardin Artuklu University, Türkiye. All eligible students across academic years will be invited to participate in the online survey. Clinical task exposure will be assessed only among students with clinical practice experience.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Undergraduate midwifery students aged 18 years or older enrolled at Mardin Artuklu University, Türkiye, who provide electronic informed consent and complete an online survey. Clinical task exposure will be assessed only among students with clinical practice experience.
Musculoskeletal Discomfort Assessed by the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire
The Turkish version of the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire will be used to assess the frequency, severity, and interference with work or activities of musculoskeletal discomfort during the preceding week. Regional scores will be calculated by multiplying the frequency, severity, and interference scores, and the total score will be calculated by summing regional scores. Higher scores indicate greater musculoskeletal discomfort.
Time frame: At enrollment (single assessment)
Ergonomic Risk Perception
Ten researcher-developed items will be used to assess perceived ergonomic risks associated with academic and clinical tasks and postures. Each item is rated from 0 (not risky) to 4 (very risky). The mean item score ranges from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater perceived ergonomic risk. This is a study-specific descriptive index.
Time frame: At enrollment (single assessment)
Protective Ergonomic Behaviours
Eight researcher-developed items will be used to assess the frequency of protective ergonomic behaviors during academic and clinical activities. Each item is rated from 0 (never) to 4 (always). The mean item score ranges from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating more frequent protective ergonomic behaviors. This is a study-specific descriptive index.
Time frame: At enrollment (single assessment)
Clinical Task Exposure
Ten researcher-developed items will be used to assess exposure to specific clinical tasks and postures during the preceding four weeks of clinical practice. Each item is rated from 0 (never) to 4 (very frequently). Item scores will be evaluated separately, with higher scores indicating more frequent exposure. This measure will be assessed only among students with clinical practice experience.
Time frame: At enrollment (single assessment)
Physical Activity Level
The Turkish version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form will be used to assess walking, moderate-intensity activity, and vigorous-intensity activity during the preceding seven days. Total physical activity will be expressed in metabolic equivalent minutes per week (MET-min/week), with higher values indicating greater physical activity. Participants will also be classified into low, moderate, or high physical activity categories according to the scoring guidelines.
Time frame: At enrollment (single assessment)
Sleep Quality
The Turkish version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index will be used to assess sleep quality during the preceding month. Seven component scores, each ranging from 0 to 3, will be summed to obtain a global score ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality. A global score greater than 5 indicates poor sleep quality.
Time frame: At enrollment (single assessment)
Trait Anxiety Assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
The Turkish version of the Trait Anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) will be used to assess participants' general tendency to experience anxiety. The subscale contains 20 items rated on a four-point scale. Total scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater trait anxiety.
Time frame: At enrollment (single assessment)
Plan to share: No — There is no plan to share individual participant data. Findings will be disseminated in aggregate form through scientific publications.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Mardin Artuklu University