Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Blue-Collar Workers: Association with Gender and Physical Activity Level

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and the association between physical activity and gender, and the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in different body regions among blue-collar workers working in a Portuguese manufacturing company. The sample comprised 136 blue collar workers. Musculoskeletal pain and related symptoms were assessed with the Nordic Questionnaire of Osteoarticular Symptoms, and physical activity was assessed with IPAQ—Short Version. The association between musculoskeletal symptoms and physical activity and gender was analyzed with the Chi-Square test. Results revealed that the 4 most prevalent body regions where the workers reported musculoskeletal symptoms were: the lumbar region (56.6%), the wrist/hand (50%), the shoulder (45.6%) and the neck (44.9%). No significant association was found between physical activity levels (p > 0.05) and prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms. Women reported a significant higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck than men (p = 0.025). To conclude, blue-collar workers have a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and the level of physical activity seems not to influence the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the blue-collar workers of this sample. Gender differences were found only in the neck region. The present results emphasize the need of worksite interventions to prevent musculoskeletal pain and related symptoms in this population.