OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors for long-term sickness absence among employees with neck-shoulder or low-back pain. METHODS: In 2000, a representative sample of Danish employees (N=5036) rated their average pain intensity in the neck-shoulder and low-back during the last three months on a 10-point scale; using a questionnaire, they also reported on physical and psychosocial work factors, health behavior, work ability and self-efficacy. Employees reporting pain intensity of >or=4 were considered to have musculoskeletal pain. As a result, we defined two populations to be included in our analyses: people with pain in the neck-shoulder (N=848) and low-back (N=676) regions. Data on long-term sickness absence of >or=3 weeks for the period 2001-2002 were attained from the Danish national register of social transfer payments. RESULTS: One fifth of employees with neck-shoulder and low-back pain experienced long-term sickness absence during the two-year follow-up. Among employees with neck-shoulder and low-back pain, respectively, the main significant risk factors were (i) pain intensity [hazard ratio (HR)=1.12, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.02-1.24 and HR=1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.26] and (ii) heavy physical work (HR=1.68, 95% CI 1.21-2.33 and HR=1.41 95% CI 1.00-2.01). CONCLUSION: Preventive initiatives for long-term sickness absence should aim to reduce pain intensity and heavy physical work among employees with neck-shoulder and low-back pain.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors for long-term sickness absence among employees with neck-shoulder or low-back pain. METHODS: In 2000, a representative sample of Danish employees (N=5036) rated their average pain intensity in the neck-shoulder and low-back during the last three months on a 10-point scale; using a questionnaire, they also reported on physical and psychosocial work factors, health behavior, work ability and self-efficacy. Employees reporting pain intensity of >or=4 were considered to have musculoskeletal pain. As a result, we defined two populations to be included in our analyses: people with pain in the neck-shoulder (N=848) and low-back (N=676) regions. Data on long-term sickness absence of >or=3 weeks for the period 2001-2002 were attained from the Danish national register of social transfer payments. RESULTS: One fifth of employees with neck-shoulder and low-back pain experienced long-term sickness absence during the two-year follow-up. Among employees with neck-shoulder and low-back pain, respectively, the main significant risk factors were (i) pain intensity [hazard ratio (HR)=1.12, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.02-1.24 and HR=1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.26] and (ii) heavy physical work (HR=1.68, 95% CI 1.21-2.33 and HR=1.41 95% CI 1.00-2.01). CONCLUSION: Preventive initiatives for long-term sickness absence should aim to reduce pain intensity and heavy physical work among employees with neck-shoulder and low-back pain.
Authors: Subas Neupane; Päivi Leino-Arjas; Clas-Håkan Nygård; Helena Miranda; Anna Siukola; Pekka Virtanen Journal: Int Arch Occup Environ Health Date: 2014-07-03 Impact factor: 3.015
Authors: William S Shaw; Edward H Chin; Candace C Nelson; Silje Endresen Reme; Mary J Woiszwillo; Santosh K Verma Journal: J Occup Rehabil Date: 2013-03
Authors: Philippe Kiss; Marc De Meester; André Kruse; Brigitte Chavée; Lutgart Braeckman Journal: Int Arch Occup Environ Health Date: 2011-05-10 Impact factor: 3.015
Authors: Sannie Vester Thorsen; Hermann Burr; Finn Diderichsen; Jakob Bue Bjorner Journal: Int Arch Occup Environ Health Date: 2012-08-28 Impact factor: 3.015
Authors: Yidan Dong; Xu Jin; Jingjing Wang; Nazhakaiti Maimaiti; Lihua He; Fujiang Wang; Xianning Jin; Shijuan Wang; Zhongbin Zhang; Mikael Forsman; Liyun Yang Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-02-05 Impact factor: 3.390