Repeated survey on changes in musculoskeletal complaints relative to age and work demands.

OBJECTIVES: To examine changes in musculoskeletal complaints over four years in groups of employees relative to age and work demands. METHODS: Repeated questionnaire data of male employees in heavy physical work (exposed group, n = 7324) and mental work (control group, n = 4686), stratified for age (20-9, 30-9, 40-9, 50-9), were analysed. For each employee, data on the occurrence of musculoskeletal complaints from two surveys with a mean interval of around four years were available. Changes in prevalences over the follow up interval were analysed. Proportions of new, recovered, and chronic cases as well as those free of complaints at both surveys were studied. RESULTS: For most complaints, there were significantly greater increases in prevalences in the exposed group compared with the control group over the follow up interval particularly within the group aged 40-9 for back, neck, and several sites of the upper and lower limbs. The 20-9 year age group also had significantly greater changes for several musculoskeletal complaints. Within the oldest age group (50-9) exposure to heavy physical work demands only affected changes in prevalences of neck and upper arm complaints. After four years in the cohort free of complaints at the start of the follow up the group aged 40-9 had the highest prevalence of complaints of the back, neck, and the upper and lower limbs. CONCLUSIONS: Middle aged and younger employees develop musculoskeletal complaints as a result of exposure to heavy physical work. In the oldest age group health related selection seems to mask the occupational health risks under study. To prevent the expected increase in musculoskeletal disorders and related work disability in our aging workforce, preventive measures should be taken at all stages of a working life.

[1]  J L Kelsey,et al.  Low back pain/prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc. , 1990, Rheumatic diseases clinics of North America.

[2]  M. Frings-Dresen,et al.  Physical workload and the ageing worker: a review of the literature , 1996, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[3]  P. Ostlin.  The 'health-related selection effect' on occupational morbidity rates. , 1989, Scandinavian Journal of Social Medicine.

[4]  A. Garg,et al.  Epidemiology of low-back pain in industry. , 1992, Occupational medicine.

[5]  B Järvholm,et al.  Persistence of musculoskeletal symptoms: a longitudinal study. , 1988, Ergonomics.

[6]  T. Videman,et al.  Changes in occupational physical loading during the lifetimes of Finnish men. , 1995, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[7]  S. Hernberg.  Work-related diseases--some problems in study design. , 1984, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[8]  M. Greenberg.  Epidemiology of Work Related Diseases , 1996 .

[9]  T. Meijman,et al.  Health complaints and working conditions experienced in relation to work and age. , 1996, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[10]  M. Graffar.  [Modern epidemiology]. , 1971, Bruxelles medical.

[11]  H. Brenner,et al.  Erratum: Older workers in the construction industry: Results of a routine health examination and a five year follow up (Occupational and Environmental Medicine (1996), 53:686-91) , 1998 .

[12]  E. Sairanen,et al.  Felling work, low-back pain and osteoarthritis. , 1981, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[13]  J Rutenfranz,et al.  Back complaints and findings in transport workers performing physically heavy work. , 1982, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[14]  M. Frings-Dresen,et al.  Occupational classification according to work demands: an evaluation study. , 1997, International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health.

[15]  V. H. Hildebrandt,et al.  Back pain in the working population: prevalence rates in Dutch trades and professions. , 1995, Ergonomics.

[16]  A J van der Beek,et al.  Selection related to musculoskeletal complaints among employees. , 1997, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[17]  Alwin Luttmann,et al.  Orthopaedic diseases among transport workers , 1988, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[18]  J Ilmarinen,et al.  Summary and recommendations of a project involving cross-sectional and follow-up studies on the aging worker in Finnish municipal occupations (1981-1985). , 1991, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[19]  E Viikari-Juntura,et al.  Neck trouble in machine operating, dynamic physical work and sedentary work: a prospective study on occupational and individual risk factors. , 1994, Journal of clinical epidemiology.

[20]  Monique Lortie,et al.  Manual handling techniques: Comparing novices and experts , 1996 .

[21]  J. Ilmarinen,et al.  Prevalence and incidence rates of diseases and work ability in different work categories of municipal occupations. , 1991, Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health.

[22]  J. Mackenbach,et al.  Socio-economic health differences in The Netherlands: a review of recent empirical findings. , 1992, Social science & medicine.

[23]  R Kadefors,et al.  Musculo-skeletal symptoms as related to working conditions among Swedish professional fisherman. , 1988, Applied ergonomics.

[24]  J A Buckwalter,et al.  Aging and degeneration of the human intervertebral disc. , 1995, Spine.

[25]  Monique H. W. Frings-Dresen,et al.  Musculoskeletal complaints in the Netherlands in relation to age, gender and physically demanding work , 1997, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[26]  T M Fliedner,et al.  Older workers in the construction industry: results of a routine health examination and a five year follow up. , 1996, Occupational and environmental medicine.