The impact of musculoskeletal pain and strenuous work on self-reported physical work ability: a cohort study of Swedish men and women

Abstract

Objective We investigated the separate and combined effects of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and strenuous work (heavy physical workload (PWL)/low-decision authority) on poor physical work ability (WA). Methods This study uses baseline data from the 2010 Stockholm Public Health Questionnaire (SPHQ) including 9419 workers with good physical WA. Exposure to PWL and decision authority were estimated using sex-specific job-exposure matrices linked to occupations. Exposures (high/low) were combined with the presence of MSP. Follow-up data on physical WA were taken from the 2014 SPHQ and dichotomised (the responses: “moderate”, “rather poor” and “very poor” indicated poor WA). Logistic regression models calculated sex-specific odds ratios adjusting for age, education and health and lifestyle factors. Interaction between MSP and strenuous work was examined using the synergy index (SI). Analyses were conducted using SPSS.27. Results MSP, heavy PWL and low-decision authority were separately associated with poor WA. MSP was associated with higher odds of poor WA than strenuous work for women, the opposite for men. Combinations of MSP and strenuous work often resulted in higher risks of poor WA than when adding the effects of the single exposures (e.g., MSP and heavy PWL men: AOR 4.04 95% CI 2.00–8.15, women: AOR: 3.25 95% CI 1.81–5.83). The SI was non-significant for both sexes. Conclusion Workers with MSP and strenuous work often had higher risks of poor WA than would be expected from adding the effects of the single exposures. To decrease poor WA in this group, strenuous work should be lowered, and MSP addressed in workplaces.

Pain, Physical Demands at Work, and Future Work Expectations Among Older Adults in the United States

“…Our findings align with the extant research documenting the negative relationship between physical work demands and perceived “work ability” among people with musculoskeletal pain ( Badarin et al, 2022 ; Oliv et al, 2017 ; Skovlund et al, 2020 ). Work ability is defined as a balance between work obligations and cognitive or physical capacity ( Ilmarinen, 2009 ) Low or declining work ability—often due to a combination of health problems and strenuous work conditions—is associated with higher likelihood of taking sick leave and typically precedes early elective or forced retirement due to disability ( Boissonneault & De Beer, 2018 ; Martinez & Fischer, 2019 ; Prakash et al, 2021 ).…”

A Rapid Review on the Effectiveness and Use of Wearable Biofeedback Motion Capture Systems in Ergonomics to Mitigate Adverse Postures and Movements of the Upper Body

“…Close to half are exposed to tiring and painful work postures at least one-quarter of the worktime, and 14% are exposed to such postures all or most of the time. In addition to causing years without disability and imposing high costs on both individuals and society, WMSDs can impair work capacity and increase the risk of short- and long-term absenteeism and premature exit from the labor market [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Given the widespread occurrence of WMSDs, proactive measures are necessary to prevent ill health conditions.…”