Association between physical work demands and work ability in workers with musculoskeletal pain: cross-sectional study

Emil Sundstrup,Sebastian Venge Skovlund,Lars L Andersen,Rúni Bláfoss

doi:10.1186/s12891-020-03191-8

Abstract

BackgroundMusculoskeletal pain is common in the working population and may affect the work ability, especially among those with high physical work demands. This study investigated the association between physical work demands and work ability in workers with musculoskeletal pain.MethodsWorkers with physically demanding jobs (n = 5377) participated in the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study in 2010. Associations between physical work ability and various physical work demands were modeled using cumulative logistic regression analyses while controlling for possible confounders.ResultsIn the fully adjusted model, bending and twisting/turning of the back more than a quarter of the workday (reference: less than a quarter of the workday) was associated with higher odds of lower work ability in workers with low-back pain (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09–1.74) and neck-shoulder pain (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.01–1.64). When adding up the different types of demands, being exposed to two or more physical work demands for more than a quarter of the workday was consistently associated with lower work ability.ConclusionsWork that involves high demands of the lower back seems especially problematic in relation to work ability among physical workers with musculoskeletal pain. Regardless of the specific type of physical work demand, being exposed to multiple physical work demands for more than a quarter of the workday was also associated with lower work ability.

Highlights

Musculoskeletal pain is common in the working population and may affect the work ability, especially among those with high physical work demands
Repetitive arm work significantly associated with lower work ability in workers with low-back pain (OR: 1.26, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.02–1.56) and neck-shoulder pain
In the fully adjusted model, bending or twisting/turning of the back for more than a quarter of the workday was associated with lower work ability in workers with low-back (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09–1.74) and neck-shoulder pain (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.01– 1.64)

Summary

Introduction

Musculoskeletal pain is common in the working population and may affect the work ability, especially among those with high physical work demands. This study investigated the association between physical work demands and work ability in workers with musculoskeletal pain. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are widespread globally [1] and may profoundly affect the ability to work [2,3,4]. According to the 2018 round of the Danish Work Environment and Health Study, MSD and low work ability are more prevalent among Danish workers in physically. Lower work ability has been associated with increased risks of work productivity loss [8], sickness absence [9,10,11] as well as premature exit from the labor market [10, 12] and all-cause mortality [13]. Physical work – typically involving repetitive work, awkward postures and heavy lifting – has been associated with increased risk of MSD [6, 20, 21] and reduced work ability [14, 15, 22]

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