1. Introduction
In recent years, musculoskeletal pain has emerged as a public health problem among students, with a prevalence ranging from 32.9% to 89.3% in different parts of the world [7]. The etiology of musculoskeletal pain is multifactorial in all societies, and occupations with risk factors are more common [2]. Musculoskeletal pain can commonly affect individuals of all ages, genders, and social and demographic backgrounds [4] and causes long-term disability, reduced productivity, reduced quality of life, and reduced level of students’ education [5, 6]. Computer users, female gender, irregular physical activity, psychological stress, and mental stress are highly prevalent among people with musculoskeletal pain [8]. Therefore, this recent study aimed to investigate musculoskeletal pain among students of the fields of study of humanities and technical-engineering faculties of Arak University and the risk factors related to their study.
2. Materials & Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted among 464 undergraduate students (227 males & 237 females) studying in the faculties of humanities and engineering of Arak University in 2019. All participants were aged between 18 and 22 years. The study participants were assessed using a standard Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) that included general and specific sections. The first part examined the demographic variables of the participants (age, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), faculty and field of study, academic year, the duration of study, the user of computer, & lifestyle). The second part evaluated the participants’ musculoskeletal complaints in the neck, back, shoulder joint, elbow, wrists, and hands, back, buttocks, knees, ankles, and legs [13]. Each study participant was requested to indicate the severity of the discomfort during the last 7 days (the point of the outbreak) and the previous 12 months (outbreak period) for 12 months (musculoskeletal disorders Interrupt her daily or require treatment or medical advice). The analysis of the relationship between independent variables and musculoskeletal pain, accurate chi-square or Fisher tests were used if necessary, and data analysis in SPSS software version 25 with a 95% confidence interval at a significance level of P<0.05.
3. Results
This cross-sectional study was conducted in the faculties of humanities and engineering of Arak University in 2019 in Arak City, Iran. Out of 520 students of Arak University in the two faculties of humanities and engineering, 464 (169 in the faculty of humanities, 295 in the faculty of engineering) in the first (31.7%), second (30%) years, third (24.6%) and fourth (13.8%) completed the Nordic questionnaire. This questionnaire contains sociological questions (gender, age, marital status), health habits and questions (weight, height, coffee consumption), smoking, physical activity, duration of cell phone use, medical diagnosis), academic questions (course, field of study, transportation, time of study, sleep, & travel per day), the duration of computer use, and the weight of bag/backpack (Table 1).


Among the study participants, 36.4% were affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities, and 63.6% were affiliated with the Faculty of Engineering, who from the first (31.7%), second (30%), third (24.6%), and fourth (13.8%). Of these, 51.1% were women, 48.9% were men with an average age of 20.56 years and a BMI of 22.9 kg/m2. Moreover, 71.3% had healthy BMI, and 20% presented overweight and obesity.
As per Table 2, the results of this study indicated the highest prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the last 12 months in the Faculty of Humanities in the lumbar region (36.1%) and engineering (22.7%) than in the region. 


The neck was 33.1% and 18%, respectively.
4. Discussion & Conclusion
Musculoskeletal pain is among the most fundamental and costly problems among students that may affect their future Jobs. Therefore, few studies have been conducted to identify its causes, especially in Iran. The highest prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the last seven days and 12 months was among students in the spine (43.7%), especially in the lower back (19.8%) and neck (15.3%). We agreed with research such as Perno et al. and neck with 38.1%, 36.8%, 34.6%, and 31.8% had the highest prevalence. According to the present study results, the upper back and neck area are also considered at-risk areas that should be paid more attention to these areas. According to a study in China, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was 67.6%, mainly occurring in the lower back, neck, and shoulders [17]. Improper posture, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and decreased physical activity were associated with a high risk of low back pain [18]. Prolonged sitting may also cause prolonged static muscle contraction increased pressure on the intervertebral discs, and tension on ligaments and muscles [19, 20]. Our study has limitations: a small sample that can only examine a limited population and age range. But we recommend training programs, motivational workshops, and annual medical examinations for students to assess and manage their current health problems. The side effects of working with computers and the Internet and other symptoms such as behavior and lack of sleep are also significant because their frequency affects the subjects’ lifestyles [24]. It is suggested to study the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and associated factors in other fields in university undergraduate courses and compare it with recent research. As a result, he taught ergonomic points according to the causes of these musculoskeletal pains.

Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
The Ethics Committee of Hamadan University approved this research (Code: IR.BASU.REC.1398.013). 

Funding
This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors. 

Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all the valuable students and professors who helped us in this study at the Faculty of Humanities and Engineering of Arak University.


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