TY - JOUR
T1 - Within-individual changes in physical work demands associated with self-reported health and musculoskeletal symptoms
T2 - a cohort study among Dutch workers
AU - Cillekens, Bart
AU - van Eeghen, Emma
AU - Oude Hengel, Karen M.
AU - Coenen, Pieter
N1 - Funding Information: We want to thank Dr. Ehsan Motazedi for the statistical help. Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/11
Y1 - 2023/11
N2 - Purpose: This study aimed to investigate changes in physical work demands in association with self-rated health and musculoskeletal symptoms. Methods: Data from five waves over the period 2019–2021 of the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey COVID-19 were available for 7191 participants aged 19–64 years who worked (partly) on-site during at least two consecutive waves. Logistic generalized estimated equations (GEE) were used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for changes (increase or decrease compared to no change) in physical work demands between two waves and poor self-rated health and musculoskeletal symptoms in the following wave, adjusted for the health outcome at the first wave, age, educational level, working hours and hours worked from home. Results: In females, a statistically significant association was found between an increase in physical work demands compared to no change and musculoskeletal symptoms (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.17–1.65). A decrease in physical work demands in females was not statistically significantly associated with musculoskeletal symptoms (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.80–1.08). Similar trends were found for poor self-rated health, although non-statistically significant. For males, comparable but attenuated associations were found. Conclusion: While our study showed that increasing physical work demands are associated with adverse health (self-reported and musculoskeletal), it did not appear to benefit worker’s health to reduce work demands. Future research with multiple measurements in a shorter period and additionally using devices to measure physical work demands will be needed to confirm our study results.
AB - Purpose: This study aimed to investigate changes in physical work demands in association with self-rated health and musculoskeletal symptoms. Methods: Data from five waves over the period 2019–2021 of the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey COVID-19 were available for 7191 participants aged 19–64 years who worked (partly) on-site during at least two consecutive waves. Logistic generalized estimated equations (GEE) were used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for changes (increase or decrease compared to no change) in physical work demands between two waves and poor self-rated health and musculoskeletal symptoms in the following wave, adjusted for the health outcome at the first wave, age, educational level, working hours and hours worked from home. Results: In females, a statistically significant association was found between an increase in physical work demands compared to no change and musculoskeletal symptoms (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.17–1.65). A decrease in physical work demands in females was not statistically significantly associated with musculoskeletal symptoms (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.80–1.08). Similar trends were found for poor self-rated health, although non-statistically significant. For males, comparable but attenuated associations were found. Conclusion: While our study showed that increasing physical work demands are associated with adverse health (self-reported and musculoskeletal), it did not appear to benefit worker’s health to reduce work demands. Future research with multiple measurements in a shorter period and additionally using devices to measure physical work demands will be needed to confirm our study results.
KW - Gender
KW - Health
KW - Muscular system
KW - Occupational physical activity
KW - Working conditions
KW - Workload
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85171979359&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-023-02008-0
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-023-02008-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 37743372
SN - 0340-0131
VL - 96
SP - 1301
EP - 1311
JO - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
JF - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
IS - 9
ER -