Musculoskeletal Diseases and Disorders in the Upper Limbs and Health Work-Related Quality of Life in Spanish Sign Language Interpreters and Guide-Interpreters

Abstract

Disorders in the upper limbs are common among sign language interpreters and are related with different risk factors, among which are the difficulties of interpreting work in the educational setting, posture, and emotional together with physical stress. The aim of this study was to inquire about the different musculoskeletal disorders and diseases present in a group of sign language interpreters, and to examine its relationship with the work-related quality of life. A battery of four instruments was administered to 62 sign language interpreters, composed of a sociodemographic data and musculoskeletal disease questionnaire, a health-related quality of life measurement scale (SF-36), a measurement scale of the impact of fatigue (MFIS), and an instrument for assessing hand-function outcomes (MHOQ). All the study participants had presented some kind of musculoskeletal pathology during their work career, such as tendinitis, overuse syndrome, and repetitive strain injury. In addition, many of the participants present difficulties in occupational performance that affect their daily activities. A high percentage, close to 70%, of the interpreters suffer from musculoskeletal disorders, serious enough to modify their activities and affect both the quality of their work as interpreters and their quality of life, with important mediating variables being the number of diseases; physical, cognitive, and social fatigue; and satisfaction with the hand function.