Abstract
BackgroundPersisting neck pain is common in society. It has been reported that the prevalence of neck pain in office workers is much higher than in the general population. The costs to the worker, employer and society associated with work-related neck pain are known to be considerable and are escalating. The factors that place office workers at greater risk of developing neck pain are not understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence and risk factors of work-related neck pain in Australian office workers.Methods/designWe will conduct a prospective cohort study. A cohort of office workers without neck pain will be followed over a 12 month period, after baseline measurement of potential risk factors. The categories of risk factors being evaluated are physical (cervical spine posture, range of movement, muscle endurance and exercise frequency), demographic (age, sex), work environment (sitting duration, frequency of breaks) and psychosocial (psychological distress and psychosocial work factors). Cox regression analysis will be used to identify risk factors associated with work-related neck pain, and will be expressed as hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals. The data will also enable the incidence of neck pain in this population to be estimated.DiscussionIn addition to clarifying the magnitude of this occupational health problem these data could inform policy in workplaces and provide the basis for primary prevention of neck pain in office workers, targeting the identified risk factors.
Highlights
IntroductionIt has been reported that the prevalence of neck pain in office workers is much higher than in the general population
Persisting neck pain is common in society
The one year prevalence of neck pain has been reported as 32% in a population of Hong Kong Chinese [2]
Summary
It has been reported that the prevalence of neck pain in office workers is much higher than in the general population. The costs to the worker, employer and society associated with work-related neck pain are known to be considerable and are escalating. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence and risk factors of work-related neck pain in Australian office workers. In the majority of cases, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neck pain are unclear. Such "non-specific" neck problems are costly in terms of disability and work loss [4]. For instance in the Netherlands annual costs associated with chronic non-specific neck pain have been reported at US$868 million [5]
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