The difference between women and men, regarding the numbers of identified occupational and non-occupational risk indicators, may partly be explained by the gender-segregated labour market, and partly by other explanations. In our study, we have not succeeded in collecting the relevant information about occupational conditions that is important for men's mental health.

Associations between self-rated psychosocial work conditions and musculoskeletal symptoms and signs by Toomingas A, Theorell T, Michélsen H, Nordemar R, Stockholm MUSIC I Study GroupThe following articles refer to this text: 2001;27 suppl 1: 1-102; 2008;34(6):430-437 Key terms: body regions; epidemiology; job strain; medical examination; nerve compression; psychological demand; risk estimate; social support; syndrome; tenderness This article in PubMed: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9167236 Scand J Work Environ Health 1997;23: 130-9 Associations between self-rated psychosocial work conditions and musculoskeletal symptoms and signs by Allan Toomingas, MD,t2 Tores Theorell, MD,[3][4][5] PhD,Wolf Nordemar, MD, Objectives The aim was to study the associations between self-rated psychosocial work conditions and the characteristics and location of musculoskeletal symptoms, signs, and syndromes.Methods Perceived psychosocial work conditions were recorded in a cross-sectional study with 358 men and women in various occupations. Symptoms were recorded from the musculoskeletal system with a questionnaire, and signs were detected in a medical examination of all body regions. The analyses of statistical associations between the psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders were performed with control for age, gender, and physical load. ResultsThe most consistent and pronounced associations were mainly seen between poor psychosocial work conditions and coexisting symptoms and signs of the neck and back regions. Poor psychosocial work conditions were more consistently and strongly associated with signs of muscular (soft tissue) tenderness than with signs of tenderness in the joints, tendons, or muscular insertions or signs in nerve compression tests. Mainly low social support at work, but also high psychological demands and high job strain, were associated with such symptoms and signs, whereas decision latitude at work showed few associations with musculoskeletal disorders. Many different risk factors have been described for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the neck and upper extremities (1, 2). There is a growing awareness of the ilnportance of psychosocial work conditions (3). C O~C I U S~O~S

Objectives-The questionnaire 16 (Q16) is commonly used to study prevalences of neurotoxic symptoms among workers exposed to organic solvents. It has also been recommended that exposed workers reporting more than six symptoms should be referred for further examination of possible chronic toxic encephalopathy. It would be useful to know whether symptoms reported in the questionnaire also

Both psychosocial factors and physical factors related to work have been found to be associated with low back pain (LBP) in many cross sectional and some longitudinal studies. [1][2][3][4] In analyses of potential risk factors for LBP related to work, often physical factors only, or psychosocial factors only, have been considered. Less often both types of factors have been studied and analysed simultaneously. 5 Even less often have conditions outside work been studied in parallel with work related conditions.6 Such a parallel approach is necessary for an understanding of the relative significance of diVerent risk factors. One argument for this approach is that, especially among women, a large part of the total daily physical and psychosocial load derives from tasks outside work, 7 as pointed out in a review by Frankenhauser. 8A second argument is that there mightbesides the interaction between work related psychosocial factors which has been demonstrated by Lindström 9 -be an interaction between factors related to work and conditions outside work, especially factors of a psychosocial nature. Such factors might influence each other, as mentioned by both Frankenhauser 8 and Friedman.10 Such reciprocal influence complicates analyses of associations between work related psychosocial risk factors and health outcomes, but increases the need for such analyses.In longitudinal studies psychosocial factors such as job satisfaction, work content, control in the work situation, social relations, and mental overstrain have been found to be associated with LBP. [11][12][13][14][15][16] Physical factors in these studies considered to contribute to LBP are physically heavy work and previous back problems.The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between psychosocial and physical factors at work, as well as conditions during leisure time, and LBP over 24 years.

Factors at work were seen to be risk indicators for low back pain among both genders. Low influence over work conditions among women and poor social relations at work among men, in combination with other factors, seem to be of high relevance for the occurrence of low back pain.