TY - JOUR
T1 - Work limitations due to neck-shoulder pain and physical work demands in older workers
T2 - cross-sectional study
AU - Bayattork, Mohammad
AU - Skovlund, Sebastian Venge
AU - Sundstrup, Emil
AU - Andersen, Lars Louis
N1 - This study was supported by a grant from the Danish foundation, TrygFonden.
PY - 2021/4
Y1 - 2021/4
N2 - PURPOSE: Many older workers are working despite having neck-shoulder pain (NSP), which may give rise to work limitations due to pain, especially among those with high physical work demands. This study investigated the joint association of neck-shoulder pain intensity and physical work demands with work limitations among older workers.METHODS: In SeniorWorkingLife, workers ≥ 50 years (n = 11,800) replied to questions about NSP intensity, work limitations due to pain, and physical activity demands at work. The odds ratio for having a higher level of work limitations due to pain in relation to neck-shoulder pain intensity and physical work demands were modeled using logistic regression controlled for various confounders.RESULTS: The results showed that the neck-shoulder pain intensity was associated with work limitations in a dose-response fashion (p < 0.0001). Importantly, a significant interaction existed between neck-shoulder pain intensity and physical activity at work (p < 0.0001), e.g., 77% of workers with high pain and high work demands experienced work limitations due to the pain.CONCLUSION: Higher neck-shoulder pain intensity and higher physical work demands-and particularly in combination-were associated with higher odds of work limitation due to pain among older workers. Thus, it seems especially important to accommodate work demands through a better work environment for these groups of workers.
AB - PURPOSE: Many older workers are working despite having neck-shoulder pain (NSP), which may give rise to work limitations due to pain, especially among those with high physical work demands. This study investigated the joint association of neck-shoulder pain intensity and physical work demands with work limitations among older workers.METHODS: In SeniorWorkingLife, workers ≥ 50 years (n = 11,800) replied to questions about NSP intensity, work limitations due to pain, and physical activity demands at work. The odds ratio for having a higher level of work limitations due to pain in relation to neck-shoulder pain intensity and physical work demands were modeled using logistic regression controlled for various confounders.RESULTS: The results showed that the neck-shoulder pain intensity was associated with work limitations in a dose-response fashion (p < 0.0001). Importantly, a significant interaction existed between neck-shoulder pain intensity and physical activity at work (p < 0.0001), e.g., 77% of workers with high pain and high work demands experienced work limitations due to the pain.CONCLUSION: Higher neck-shoulder pain intensity and higher physical work demands-and particularly in combination-were associated with higher odds of work limitation due to pain among older workers. Thus, it seems especially important to accommodate work demands through a better work environment for these groups of workers.
KW - Musculoskeletal pain
KW - Neck
KW - Shoulder
KW - Work demands
KW - Older worker
KW - Work limitation
KW - Labor market
KW - Occupational health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85094113651&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00420-020-01594-7
DO - 10.1007/s00420-020-01594-7
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 33106931
SN - 0340-0131
VL - 94
SP - 433
EP - 440
JO - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
JF - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
IS - 3
ER -