Prevalence of Neck Pain and Disability Among Cashiers in Traditional Versus Digital Banking Settings in Lahore, Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61919/xn19fc21Keywords:
Neck pain, neck disability, bank cashiers, digital banking, traditional banking, ergonomics, occupational health.Abstract
Background: Neck pain is a common work-related musculoskeletal problem among banking professionals, particularly in occupations involving prolonged sitting, repetitive computer use, sustained neck posture, and limited postural variation. Cashiers working in traditional and digital banking settings may experience different ergonomic exposures, but comparative evidence from local banking environments remains limited. Objective: This study aimed to compare the prevalence of neck pain and neck-related functional disability among cashiers working in traditional versus digital banking settings in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 104 bank cashiers, including 52 participants from traditional banking settings and 52 from digital banking settings. Participants aged 20–60 years with at least six months of cashier work experience and a minimum work exposure of 30 hours per week were included. Neck pain severity was assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, while functional disability was measured using the Neck Disability Index. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and group comparisons. Results: Neck pain was reported by 84.6% of traditional banking cashiers and 94.2% of digital banking cashiers. Moderate-to-severe pain was present in 63.5% of traditional banking cashiers and 67.3% of digital banking cashiers. Any neck-related disability was reported by 67.3% of traditional banking cashiers and 73.1% of digital banking cashiers, while moderate-to-complete disability was higher among digital banking cashiers than traditional banking cashiers, 26.9% versus 13.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Neck pain and disability were frequent among cashiers in both banking settings, with a consistently higher observed burden among digital banking cashiers. These findings highlight the need for ergonomic workplace modification, scheduled breaks, posture education, and physiotherapy-led preventive strategies in banking environments.
References
1. Hoy D, Protani M, De R, Buchbinder R. The epidemiology of neck pain. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2010;24(6):783-792.
2. Cohen SP. Epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of neck pain. Mayo Clin Proc. 2015;90(2):284-299.
3. Marzban H, Rezaei M, Gholami A, et al. Musculoskeletal disorders among bank workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024;25(1):951.
4. Warikoo D. Assessing the level of disability, deep cervical flexor endurance and fear avoidance beliefs in bankers with neck pain. Online J Health Allied Sci. 2013.
5. Arshad MU, Jamshaid M, et al. Prevalence of neck pain related to working hours among bankers: a cross-sectional study. Pakistan BioMedical Journal. 2021;4(2):229-232.
6. Jun D, Zoe M, Johnston V, O’Leary S. Physical risk factors for developing non-specific neck pain in office workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2017;90(5):373-410.
7. Ambusam S, Baharudin O, et al. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among computer users. 2015.
8. Hamid A, Chaudhry A, et al. Repercussions of the world transition to remote work system during COVID pandemic: increased instances of occupational health and safety issues among students and professionals. J Nat Appl Sci Pak. 2022;4(2):1125-1143.
9. Louw S, Makwela S, et al. Exercise-based preventive strategies for neck pain. 2017.
10. Farooq MN, Mohseni-Bandpei MA, et al. Exercise and musculoskeletal health in relation to neck pain prevention. 2018.
11. Boota M, Shaban S, et al. Prevalence of neck pain among bankers. 2018.
12. Dagne D, Abebe SM, Getachew A. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and associated factors among bank workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. Environ Health Prev Med. 2020;25(1):33.
13. Kazeminasab S, Nejadghaderi SA, Amiri P, et al. Neck pain: global epidemiology, trends and risk factors. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022;23(1):26.
14. Mukhtar NB, Ibrahim AA, et al. Prevalence of neck pain and its associated factors in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. BMJ Open. 2023;13(9):e074219.
15. Al-Shalalfeh M, Zayat A, et al. The prevalence of neck pain and its association with studying device usage and posture among students at the University of Jordan: a cross-sectional study. medRxiv. 2025.
16. Khadembashiri MM, Khadembashiri S, et al. The epidemiology of neck and low back pain in Iran: a national and sub-national analysis from 1990 to 2019. Ann Med Surg. 2024;86(4):1850-1860.
17. Jonga T, Samuel A, et al. Prevalence of low back pain and associated factors among bank workers at Hawassa city, Northern Zone, Sidama Region, Southern Ethiopia. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024;25(1):477.
18. Demissie B, Yenew C, et al. Magnitude of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and its associated factors among computer user bankers in South Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021. Environ Health Insights. 2022;16:11786302221125048.
19. Cerezo-Téllez E, Torres-Lacomba M, Mayoral-Del-Moral O, et al. Prevalence of myofascial pain syndrome in chronic non-specific neck pain: a population-based cross-sectional descriptive study. Pain Med. 2016;17(12):2369-2377.
20. Meng Y, Xue Y, et al. The associations between sedentary behavior and neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. 2025;25(1):453.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mahnoor Shahid, Amna Shahbaz, Nimra Arshad, Sana Mehmood, Anam Abbas (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
© The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
.png)
