TY - JOUR
T1 - The mediating role of physical activity and sedentary behavior in the association between working from home and musculoskeletal pain during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Loef, Bette
AU - van Oostrom, Sandra H.
AU - Bosma, Esmee
AU - Lifelines Corona Research Initiative
AU - Proper, Karin I.
N1 - Funding Information: The authors wish to acknowledge the services of the Lifelines Cohort study, the contributing research centers delivering data to Lifelines, and all the study participants. The Lifelines initiative has been made possible by subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen University, and the provinces in the north of the Netherlands (Drenthe, Friesland, and Groningen). Funding Information: This study was funded by the COVID-19 program of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport that was conducted by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. The funding bodies had no role in the study design, the collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of the manuscript, and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Loef, van Oostrom, Bosma, Lifelines Corona Research Initiative and Proper.
PY - 2022/12/2
Y1 - 2022/12/2
N2 - Introduction: Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated both with physical inactivity and musculoskeletal pain. However, it has not been examined whether physical activity and sedentary behavior are underlying mechanisms in the association between working from home and musculoskeletal pain. Therefore, we examined their mediating role in this association. Methods: Data were used from 24 questionnaire rounds of the Lifelines COVID-19 cohort (March 2020–January 2022). Longitudinal information on work situation (location, home, hybrid), physical activity, sedentary behavior, and musculoskeletal pain was collected among 28,586 workers. Analysis of physical activity/sedentary behavior as mediators of the association between working from home and musculoskeletal pain was performed using multilevel structural equation modeling. Results: Home workers more often had pain in the upper back [odds ratio (OR) = 1.17, 95%-confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–1.34] and arm, neck, and/or shoulder (ANS) (OR = 1.32, 95%-CI = 1.19–1.47) than location workers. Furthermore, home workers were more often sedentary for >9 h per work day than location workers (OR = 2.82, 95%-CI = 2.56–3.09), and being more sedentary was associated with musculoskeletal pain (upper back: OR = 1.17, 95%-CI = 1.06–1.30; ANS: OR = 1.25, 95%-CI = 1.16–1.34). Corresponding indirect effects were OR = 1.18 (95%-CI = 1.04–1.33) and OR = 1.26 (95%-CI = 1.12–1.35). No indirect effect was found for physical activity. Similar indirect effects were observed for hybrid workers. Conclusion: Home and hybrid workers were more likely to have pain in the upper musculoskeletal system during the COVID-19 pandemic than location workers, which was partly mediated by increased sedentary behavior, but not by reduced physical activity. Measures to reduce sedentary time in home workers may contribute to preventing musculoskeletal pain.
AB - Introduction: Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated both with physical inactivity and musculoskeletal pain. However, it has not been examined whether physical activity and sedentary behavior are underlying mechanisms in the association between working from home and musculoskeletal pain. Therefore, we examined their mediating role in this association. Methods: Data were used from 24 questionnaire rounds of the Lifelines COVID-19 cohort (March 2020–January 2022). Longitudinal information on work situation (location, home, hybrid), physical activity, sedentary behavior, and musculoskeletal pain was collected among 28,586 workers. Analysis of physical activity/sedentary behavior as mediators of the association between working from home and musculoskeletal pain was performed using multilevel structural equation modeling. Results: Home workers more often had pain in the upper back [odds ratio (OR) = 1.17, 95%-confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–1.34] and arm, neck, and/or shoulder (ANS) (OR = 1.32, 95%-CI = 1.19–1.47) than location workers. Furthermore, home workers were more often sedentary for >9 h per work day than location workers (OR = 2.82, 95%-CI = 2.56–3.09), and being more sedentary was associated with musculoskeletal pain (upper back: OR = 1.17, 95%-CI = 1.06–1.30; ANS: OR = 1.25, 95%-CI = 1.16–1.34). Corresponding indirect effects were OR = 1.18 (95%-CI = 1.04–1.33) and OR = 1.26 (95%-CI = 1.12–1.35). No indirect effect was found for physical activity. Similar indirect effects were observed for hybrid workers. Conclusion: Home and hybrid workers were more likely to have pain in the upper musculoskeletal system during the COVID-19 pandemic than location workers, which was partly mediated by increased sedentary behavior, but not by reduced physical activity. Measures to reduce sedentary time in home workers may contribute to preventing musculoskeletal pain.
KW - COVID-19
KW - home workers
KW - hybrid workers
KW - longitudinal study
KW - mediation
KW - musculoskeletal pain
KW - physical activity
KW - sedentary behavior
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144097887&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1072030
DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1072030
M3 - Article
C2 - 36530694
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
M1 - 1072030
ER -