Working in a cold environment, feeling cold at work and chronic pain: a cross-sectional analysis of the Tromsø Study

Abstract

AimThe aim of this study was to investigate if working in a cold environment and feeling cold at work are associated with chronic pain (ie, lasting ≥3 months).MethodsWe used data from the sixth survey (2007–2008) of the Tromsø Study. Analyses included 6533 men and women aged 30–67 years who were not retired, not receiving full-time disability benefits and had no missing values. Associations between working in a cold environment, feeling cold at work and self-reported chronic pain were examined with logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, education, body mass index, insomnia, physical activity at work, leisure time physical activity and smoking.Results779 participants reported working in a cold environment ≥25% of the time. This exposure was positively associated with pain at ≥3 sites (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.23 to 2.01) and with neck, shoulder and leg pain, but not with pain at 1–2 sites. Feeling cold sometimes or often at work was associated with pain at ≥3 sites (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.22 to 2.07 and OR 3.90; 95% CI 2.04 to 7.45, respectively). Feeling cold often at work was significantly and positively associated with pain at all sites except the hand, foot, stomach and head.ConclusionWorking in a cold environment was significantly associated with chronic pain. The observed association was strongest for pain at musculoskeletal sites and for those who often felt cold at work.

Is working in a cold environment associated with musculoskeletal complaints 7–8 years later? A longitudinal analysis from the Tromsø Study

“…Consequently, we are at risk of classifying participants with minimal exposure to cold environments as exposed, which may have led us to underestimate the effect of working in a cold environment. On the other hand, our previous cross-sectional analysis showed that feeling cold was strongly associated with chronic pain (Farbu et al 2019 ). Thus, the measure of cold exposure in this study might, to some degree, represent perceived thermal stress or an underlying trait that increases the likelihood of both feeling cold and developing MSC.…”

“…Other cross-sectional studies have found a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among workers exposed to a cold environment. The studied populations were storehouse workers, construction workers, mine workers and seafood industry workers, and the general working population (Aasmoe et al 2008 ; Burstrom et al 2012 ; Dovrat and Katz-Leurer 2007 ; Farbu et al 2019 ; Skandfer et al 2014 ). In our previous study, we found an association between working in a cold environment and chronic pain at ≥ 3 anatomical sites (Farbu et al 2019 ), but in the current study, we did not find any significant increased risk of MSC in ≥ 3 regions.…”

“…The studied populations were storehouse workers, construction workers, mine workers and seafood industry workers, and the general working population (Aasmoe et al 2008 ; Burstrom et al 2012 ; Dovrat and Katz-Leurer 2007 ; Farbu et al 2019 ; Skandfer et al 2014 ). In our previous study, we found an association between working in a cold environment and chronic pain at ≥ 3 anatomical sites (Farbu et al 2019 ), but in the current study, we did not find any significant increased risk of MSC in ≥ 3 regions. The higher resolution of the outcome measure in our previous study could explain some of this difference, as the previous study investigated 14 different sites with chronic pain versus 6 regions with MSC in the current study, which means that a participant with pain in the neck, shoulder, and arm would have been classified differently in the two studies.…”

“…Several cross-sectional studies have found that working in a cold environment or feeling cold is associated with a higher prevalence of pain among slaughterhouse, construction, seafood industry, and storehouse workers, as well as in the general population. The association has also been found for musculoskeletal locations such as the wrist, back, neck, and shoulder (Aasmoe et al 2008 ; Dovrat and Katz-Leurer 2007 ; Farbu et al 2019 ; Pienimaki 2002 ; Skandfer et al 2014 ). In a cohort of 134,754 male Swedish construction workers, there was a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in geographical regions with lower mean temperatures (Burstrom et al 2013 ).…”

“…Our previous cross-sectional study from the sixth survey of the Tromsø Study (Tromsø 6) found that working in a cold environment ≥ 25% of the time was associated with chronic pain lasting 3 months or longer (Farbu et al 2019 ). In the consecutive, seventh survey of the Tromsø Study (Tromsø 7) the questions concerning chronic pain and anatomical sites were replaced with a computerised system, in which participants pointed and clicked on a digital mannequin to show affected sites, combined with questions.…”