Prevalence and Association of Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Problems and Low Back Pain with Prolonged Sketching Among Architecture Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Architecture students engage in prolonged sketching that requires sustained bending, repetitive upper-limb movement, and static postures. Although international literature links prolonged drafting to musculoskeletal disorders, data on architecture students in Pakistan, particularly Karachi, remain scarce.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of upper limb musculoskeletal problems and low back pain (LBP) among architecture students and to examine their association with prolonged sketching.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 169 undergraduate architecture students recruited via non-probability convenience sampling from institutions across Karachi. Data were collected using the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) over six months. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and chi-square tests were used for analysis (SPSS v29; p<0.05).

Results: Upper limb musculoskeletal problems were reported by 93.5% of participants, and 68.64% reported LBP. Among students with LBP, 95.7% also had upper limb symptoms, indicating substantial symptom clustering. Sketching duration and years of experience showed no significant independent association with symptom prevalence. However, gender (χ²=5.78, p=0.02) and exercise routine (χ²=8.11, p=0.02) were significantly associated with LBP: females reported higher prevalence (74.4%) than males (55.8%), and daily exercisers reported lower prevalence (43.5%) than non-exercisers (73.8%).

Conclusion: Architecture students carry a substantial, multi-site musculoskeletal burden from prolonged sketching, yet 88.8% had never sought professional consultation. Findings support incorporating ergonomic education, adjustable workstations, structured rest breaks, and exercise promotion into architecture curricula.