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The joint association of musculoskeletal pain and domains of physical activity with sleep problems: cross-sectional data from the DPhacto study, Denmark

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate if occupational physical activity (OPA) and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) influence the association between musculoskeletal pain and sleep problems.

Methods

Cross-sectional study includes 678 workers in the Danish PHysical ACTivity cohort with Objective measurements (DPhacto). Musculoskeletal pain was assessed by questionnaires, while OPA and LTPA were measured with accelerometers for up to 6 consecutive days. We used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for self-reported insomnia symptoms and non-restorative sleep.

Results

Analyses of the joint association of musculoskeletal pain and OPA showed that workers with high pain and high OPA had ORs of 5.80 (95% CI 2.64–12.67) for insomnia symptoms and 2.50 (95% CI 1.37–4.57) for non-restorative sleep, compared to those with low pain and low OPA, whereas workers with high pain and low OPA had ORs of 4.67 (95% CI 2.17–10.07) for insomnia symptoms, and 2.67 (95% CI 1.46–4.89) for non-restorative sleep, respectively. Furthermore, workers with high pain and high LTPA had ORs of 4.23 (95% CI 2.16–8.32) for insomnia symptoms and 1.95 (95% CI 1.09–3.48) for non-restorative sleep, compared to those with low pain and low LTPA, whereas workers with high pain and low LTPA had ORs of 3.34 (95% CI 1.66–6.70) for insomnia symptoms and 2.14 (95% CI 1.21–3.80) for non-restorative sleep, respectively.

Conclusions

Workers with high musculoskeletal pain who also conducted high levels of OPA or LTPA reported higher prevalence of insomnia symptoms.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the DPhacto research group and personnel who contributed to the data collection and analysis, especially Julie Lagersted-Olsen, Dorte Ekner, Klaus Hansen, and Jørgen Skotte.

Funding

This work was supported by a grant to Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno from the Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority (RHA) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NRCWE), and the Danish Working Environment Research Fund (Reference Number 11-2017-03) financed the data collection of this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

    Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno, Paul Jarle Mork & Tom Ivar Lund Nilsen

  2. Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

    Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno

  3. Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

    Tom Ivar Lund Nilsen

  4. Department of Forensic Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Marie Birk Jørgensen

  5. National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Andreas Holtermann

  6. Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Andreas Holtermann

Authors
  1. Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno
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  2. Paul Jarle Mork
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  3. Tom Ivar Lund Nilsen
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  4. Marie Birk Jørgensen
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  5. Andreas Holtermann
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Contributions

Study concept and design: all authors. Drafting of the manuscript: ESS. Critical revision of the manuscript: all authors. Statistical analysis: ESS, PJM, TILN, and AH. Analysis and interpretation of data: all authors. Critical revision: all authors. Final approval: all authors.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee for the Capital Region of Denmark and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent

All workers who participated in the study signed an informed consent.

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Skarpsno, E.S., Mork, P.J., Nilsen, T.I.L. et al. The joint association of musculoskeletal pain and domains of physical activity with sleep problems: cross-sectional data from the DPhacto study, Denmark. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 92, 491–499 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-018-1382-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-018-1382-8

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