Abstract
Aims
Previously, among food industry workers, multisite pain predicted sickness absence (SA) only in those with low biomechanical workload. Here we studied among a wide range of occupations whether the relationship of pain with SA was modified by the level of physical or psychosocial workload.
Methods
A nationally representative sample (Health 2000 Survey) comprised 3420 occupationally active Finns aged 30–55 years. Baseline data on musculoskeletal pain during the preceding month, strenuous work history, current physical workload, job demands, job control, support at work, lifestyle, and chronic diseases were obtained in 2000/2001 by questionnaire, interview, and clinical examination. Musculoskeletal pain in 18 body locations was combined into four sites (neck, upper limbs, low back, and lower limbs) and classified as no pain, single-site pain, and multisite pain (2–4 sites). The data were linked with information from national registers on annual SA periods lasting ≥10 workdays for 2002–2008. Negative binomial regression analysis was used.
Results
At baseline, one-third of the study sample reported single-site and one-third multisite pain. Allowing for gender and age, the employees with multisite pain in strata with high physical workload and high job demands tended to have the highest risk of SA, but no statistically significant interactive effects between work factors and pain were observed. Further adjustment for health-related lifestyle and chronic diseases decreased the risk estimates in all strata.
Conclusion
We did not find evidence for significant modification by physical or psychosocial workload of the relationship between musculoskeletal pain and SA periods lasting ≥10 workdays.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersen LL, Mortensen OS, Hansen JV, Burr H (2011) A prospective cohort study on severe pain as a risk factor for long-term sickness absence in blue-collar and white-collar workers. Occup Environ Med 68(8):590–592
Ariens GA, Bongers PM, Hoogendoorn WE, van der Wal G, van Mechelen W (2002) High physical and psychosocial load at work and sickness absence due to neck pain. Scand J Work Environ Health 28(4):222–231
Aromaa A, Koskinen S (eds) (2004) Health and functional capacity in Finland: baseline results of the Health 2000 Health examination survey, vol B12. Publications of the National Public Health Institute, Helsinki
Gimeno D, Benavides F, Benach J, Amick BC III (2004a) Distribution of sickness absence in the European Union countries. Occup Environ Med 61:867–869
Gimeno D, Benavides FG, Amick BC III, Benach J, Martinez JM (2004b) Psychosocial factors and work-related sickness absence among permanent and non-permanent employees. J Epidemiol Commun Health 58:870–876
Haukka E, Kaila-Kangas L, Ojajärvi A, Miranda H, Karppinen J, Viikari-Juntura E, Heliövaara M, Leino-Arjas P (2013) Pain in multiple sites and sickness absence trajectories: a prospective study among Finns. Pain 154:306–312
Haukka E, Kaila-Kangas L, Ojajärvi A, Saastamoinen P, Holtermann H, Jørgensen MB, Karppinen J, Heliövaara M, Leino-Arjas P (2014a) Multisite musculoskeletal pain predicts medically certified disability retirement among Finns. Eur J Pain. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejp.635/pdf
Haukka E, Kaila-Kangas L, Luukkonen R, Takala E-P, Viikari-Juntura E, Leino-Arjas P (2014b) Predictors of sickness absence related to musculoskeletal pain: a two-year follow-up study of workers in municipal kitchens. Scand J Work Environ Health 40(3):278–286
Heistaro S (ed) (2008) Methodology report. Health 2000 survey, vol B26. National Public Health Institute, Helsinki
Holtermann A, Hansen JV, Burr H, Søgaard K (2010) Prognostic factors for long-term sickness absence among employees with neck-shoulder and low-back pain. Scand J Work Environ Health 36:34–41
International Labour Office (1990) International standard classification of occupations. Geneva
Janssens H, Clays E, De Clercp B, Casini A, Bacquer De, Kittel F, Braeckman L (2014) The relation between psychosocial risk factors and cause-specific long-term sickness absence. Eur J Public Health 24:428–433
Kamaleri Y, Natvig B, Ihlebaek CM, Bruusgaard D (2009) Does the number of musculoskeletal pain sites predict work disability? A 14-year prospective study. Eur J Pain 13:426–430
Karasek R, Brisson C, Kawakami N, Houtman I, Bongers P, Amick B (1998) The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ): an instrument for internationally comparative assessments of psychosocial job characteristics. J Occup Health Psychol 3:322–355
Karlsson N, Skargren E, Kristenson M (2010) Emotional support predicts more sickness absence and poorer self-assessed work ability: a two-year prospective cohort study. BMC Public Health 10:648
Kuoppala J, Lamminpää A, Husman P (2008) Work health promotion, job well-being, and sickness absences—a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Occup Environ Med 50(11):1216–1227
Lund T, Labriola M, Christenen K, Bültmann U, Villadsen E (2006) Physical work environment risk factors for long-term sickness absence: prospective findings among a cohort of 5357 employees in Denmark. BMJ 332(7539):449–452
Mäkinen T, Kestilä L, Borodulin K, Martelin T, Rahkonen O, Leino-Arjas P, Prättälä R (2010) Occupational class differences in leisure-time physical inactivity—contribution of past and current physical workload and other working conditions. Scand J Work Environ Health 36:62–70
Morken T, Riise T, Moen B, Hauge SHV, Holien S et al (2013) Low back pain and widespread pain predict sickness absence among industrial workers. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 4:21
Neupane S, Leino-Arjas P, Miranda H, Nygård C-H, Siukola A, Virtanen P (2015) Does the association between musculoskeletal pain and sickness absence due to musculoskeletal diagnoses depend on biomechanical working conditions? Int Arch Occup Environ Health 88(3):273–279
Nyman T, Grooten WJ, Wiktorin C, Liwing J, Norrman L (2007) Sickness absence and concurrent low back and neck-shoulder pain: results from the MUSIC-Norrtälje study. Eur Spine J 16:631–638
Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (2008) Sickness, disability and work: breaking the barriers, vol 3. Denmark, Finland, Ireland and The Netherlands: Paris: OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (2009) Economic policy reforms: going for growth. OECD, Paris
Saastamoinen P, Leino-Arjas P, Laaksonen M, Martikainen P, Lahelma E (2006) Pain and health related functioning among employees. J Epidemiol Community Health 60:793–798
Seppänen T (2010) European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), European Working Conditions Observatory (EWCO), Absence from work. Eurofound, Dublin
Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA) statistical yearbook. http://www.kela.fi/documents/10180/1630875/Statistical_Yearbook_of_the_Social_Insurance_Institution_2013.pdf/0578574a-2b93-4ca5-ac0f-650f12d15141. Accessed 28 Nov 2014
World Health Organisation (2006) BMI classifications. http://www.who.int/bmi/index.jsp?introPage=intro_3.html. Accessed 01 Sept 2014
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by Grant No: 26/27/2012 from the Social Insurance Institution, Finland.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
None.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Neupane, S., Pensola, T., Haukka, E. et al. Does physical or psychosocial workload modify the effect of musculoskeletal pain on sickness absence? A prospective study among the Finnish population. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 89, 719–728 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-015-1110-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-015-1110-6