Top

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

Published in:

Open Access 01-11-2019 | Musculoskeletal Pain | Original Article

Sick leave due to musculoskeletal pain: determinants of distinct trajectories over 1 year

Authors: David M. Hallman, Andreas Holtermann, Martin Björklund, Nidhi Gupta, Charlotte D. Nørregaard Rasmussen

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 8/2019

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to identify sub-groups of workers with different trajectories of sick leave due to musculoskeletal pain over 1 year, and to investigate the extent to which the identified trajectories are associated with personal, occupational, lifestyle, and pain-related factors at baseline.

Methods

Data on 981 blue- and white-collar workers were analyzed in the DPHACTO cohort (2012–2014). The number of days on sick leave due to pain was reported using text messages at 4-week intervals across 1 year. Latent class growth analysis was used to distinguish sub-groups with different trajectories of sick leave. A web-based questionnaire at baseline was used to assess personal, occupational (physical and psychosocial), lifestyle, and pain-related factors. Multinomial regression models were constructed to determine associations between baseline factors and trajectories of sick leave (referencing no sick leave), with adjustment for potential confounders.

Results

Four distinct sub-groups were identified, with trajectories of sick leave due to pain ranging from no sick leave (prevalence 76%; average 0.5 days/year) to some days and increasing sick leave due to pain over 1 year (2%; 89 days/year). The increasing trajectory of sick leave was associated with higher perceived physical exertion, more time in manual work, less social community and influence at work, less leisure-time physical activity, smoking, and more severe symptoms (e.g., multisite pain, low back pain intensity, and pain interference).

Conclusions

We identified four distinct trajectories of sick leave due to musculoskeletal pain. The sub-group with increasing sick leave due to pain was associated with several modifiable physical and psychosocial factors at work and outside work, which may have implications for prevention.

Available only for authorised users

Alavinia SM, van den Berg TIJ, van Duivenbooden C, Elders LAM, Burdorf A (2009) Impact of work-related factors, lifestyle, and work ability on sickness absence among Dutch construction workers. Scand J Work Environ Health 35(5):325–333CrossRef

Andersen LL, Clausen T, Mortensen OS, Burr H, Holtermann A (2012) A prospective cohort study on musculoskeletal risk factors for long-term sickness absence among healthcare workers in eldercare. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 85(6):615–622. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0709-5 CrossRef

Andersen LL, Fallentin N, Thorsen SV, Holtermann A (2016) Physical workload and risk of long-term sickness absence in the general working population and among blue-collar workers: prospective cohort study with register follow-up. Occup Environ Med 73(4):246CrossRef

Andersen LL, Thorsen SV, Flyvholm M-A, Holtermann A (2018) Long-term sickness absence from combined factors related to physical work demands: prospective cohort study. Eur J Public Health 28(5):824–829. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cky073 CrossRef

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):222–231CrossRef

Bevan S (2015) Economic impact of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) on work in Europe. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 29(3):356–373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.berh.2015.08.002 CrossRef

Bhattacharya A (2014) Costs of occupational musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the United States. Int J Ind Ergon 44(3):448–454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ergon.2014.01.008 CrossRef

Borg G (1998) Borg’s percieved exertion and pain scales. Human Kinetics, Champaign

Borghouts JAJ, Koes BW, Vondeling H, Bouter LM (1999) Cost-of-illness of neck pain in The Netherlands in 1996. Pain 80(3):629–636. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3959(98)00268-1 CrossRef

Feleus A, Miedema HS, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, Hoekstra T, Koes BW, Burdorf A (2016) Sick leave in workers with arm, neck and/or shoulder complaints; defining occurrence and discriminative trajectories over a 2-year time period. Occup Environ Med. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2016-103624 CrossRef

Firth D (1993) Bias reduction of maximum likelihood estimates. Biometrika 80(1):27–38. https://doi.org/10.1093/biomet/80.1.27 CrossRef

Fredriksson K, Toomingas A, Torgen M, Thorbjornsson CB, Kilbom A (1998) Validity and reliability of self-reported retrospectively collected data on sick leave related to musculoskeletal diseases. Scand J Work Environ Health 24(5):425–431CrossRef

Georg H, Michael S (2002) A solution to the problem of separation in logistic regression. Stat Med 21(16):2409–2419. https://doi.org/10.1002/sim.1047 CrossRef

Gupta N, Heiden M, Mathiassen SE, Holtermann A (2016) Prediction of objectively measured physical activity and sedentariness among blue-collar workers using survey questionnaires. Scand J Work Environ Health 42(3):237–245. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3561 CrossRef

Hallman DM, Birk Jørgensen M, Holtermann A (2017a) Objectively measured physical activity and 12-month trajectories of neck–shoulder pain in workers: a prospective study in DPHACTO. Scand J Public Health 45(3):288–298. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494816688376 CrossRef

Hallman DM, Birk Jørgensen M, Holtermann A (2017b) On the health paradox of occupational and leisure-time physical activity using objective measurements: effects on autonomic imbalance. PLoS One 12(5):e0177042. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177042 CrossRef

Hallman DM, Rasmussen CDN, Jørgensen MB, Holtermann A (2018) Time course of neck-shoulder pain among workers: a longitudinal latent class growth analysis. Scand J Work Environ Health 44(1):47–57. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3690 CrossRef

Hallman D, Holtermann A, Dencker-Larsen S, Birk Jørgensen M, Rasmussen CDN (2019) Are trajectories of neck–shoulder pain associated with sick leave and work ability in workers? A 1-year prospective study. BMJ Open 9:e022006. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024556 CrossRef

Hansson EK, Hansson TH (2005) The costs for persons sick-listed more than one month because of low back or neck problems. A two-year prospective study of Swedish patients. Eur Spine J 14(4):337–345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-004-0731-3 CrossRef

Haukka E et al (2013) Pain in multiple sites and sickness absence trajectories: a prospective study among Finns. Pain 154(2):306–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2012.11.003 CrossRef

Haukka E et al (2014) 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):278–286CrossRef

Haukka E, Ojajärvi A, Kaila-Kangas L, Leino-Arjas P (2017) Protective determinants of sickness absence among employees with multisite pain—a 7-year follow-up. Pain 158(2):220–229. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000741 CrossRef

Hogg-Johnson S et al (2009) The burden and determinants of neck pain in the general population: results of the bone and joint decade 2000–2010 task force on neck pain and its associated disorders. J Manip Physiol Ther 32(2, Supplement 1):S46–S60CrossRef

Holtermann A, Hansen JV, Burr H, Sogaard K (2010) Prognostic factors for long-term sickness absence among employees with neck-shoulder and low-back pain. Scand J Work Environ Health 36(1):34–41CrossRef

Holtermann A, Hansen JV, Burr H, Søgaard K, Sjøgaard G (2012) The health paradox of occupational and leisure-time physical activity. Br J Sports Med 46(4):291–295. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2010.079582 CrossRef

Johns G, Miraglia M (2015) The reliability, validity, and accuracy of self-reported absenteeism from work: a meta-analysis. J Occup Health Psychol 20(1):1–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037754 CrossRef

Jørgensen M et al (2013) Physical activities at work and risk of musculoskeletal pain and its consequences: protocol for a study with objective field measures among blue-collar workers. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 14(1):1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-14-213 CrossRef

Jørgensen MB et al (2019) The DPhacto cohort: an overview of technically measured physical activity at work and leisure in blue-collar sectors for practitioners and researchers. Appl Ergon 77:29–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2019.01.003 CrossRef

Jung T, Wickrama KAS (2008) An introduction to latent class growth analysis and growth mixture modeling. Soc Personal Psychol Compass 2(1):302–317. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2007.00054.x CrossRef

Karels CH, Bierma-Zeinstra SM, Verhagen AP, Koes BW, Burdorf A (2010) Sickness absence in patients with arm, neck and shoulder complaints presenting in physical therapy practice: 6 months follow-up. Man Ther 15(5):476–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2010.04.001 CrossRef

Keefe FJ, Linton SJ, Lefebvre JC (1992) The Outcome Evaluation Questionnaire: description and initial findings. Scand J Behav Ther 21(1):19–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506079209455886 CrossRef

Kuorinka I et al (1987) Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Appl Ergon 18(3):233–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-6870(87)90010-X CrossRef

Lidwall U (2015) Sick leave diagnoses and return to work: a Swedish register study. Disabil Rehabil 37(5):396–410. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2014.923521 CrossRef

Lötters F, Burdorf A (2006) Prognostic factors for duration of sickness absence due to musculoskeletal disorders. Clin J Pain 22(2):212–221. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ajp.0000154047.30155.72 CrossRef

Magee CA, Caputi P, Lee JK (2016) Distinct longitudinal patterns of absenteeism and their antecedents in full-time Australian employees. J Occup Health Psychol 21(1):24–36. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039138 CrossRef

Neovius K, Johansson K, Kark M, Neovius M (2008) Obesity status and sick leave: a systematic review. Obes Rev 10(1):17–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2008.00521.x CrossRef

Nylund KL, Asparouhov T, Muthén BO (2007) Deciding on the number of classes in latent class analysis and growth mixture modeling: a Monte Carlo simulation study. Struct Equ Model Multidiscip J 14(4):535–569. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701575396 CrossRef

Okifuji A, Hare BD (2015) The association between chronic pain and obesity. J Pain Res 8:399–408. https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S55598 CrossRef

Pejtersen JH, Kristensen TS, Borg V, Bjorner JB (2010) The second version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. Scand J Public Health 38(3 suppl):8–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494809349858 CrossRef

Pekkala J, Rahkonen O, Pietiläinen O, Lahelma E, Blomgren J (2018) Sickness absence due to different musculoskeletal diagnoses by occupational class: a register-based study among 1.2 million Finnish employees. Occup Environ Med 75:296–302CrossRef

Shiri R, Falah-Hassani K (2017) Does leisure time physical activity protect against low back pain? Systematic review and meta-analysis of 36 prospective cohort studies. Br J Sports Med 51:1410–1418CrossRef

Stapelfeldt CM, Jensen C, Andersen NT, Fleten N, Nielsen CV (2012) Validation of sick leave measures: self-reported sick leave and sickness benefit data from a Danish national register compared to multiple workplace-registered sick leave spells in a Danish municipality. BMC Public Health 12(1):661. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-661 CrossRef

Steenstra IA, Verbeek JH, Heymans MW, Bongers PM (2005) Prognostic factors for duration of sick leave in patients sick listed with acute low back pain: a systematic review of the literature. Occup Environ Med 62(12):851CrossRef

Steffens D, Maher CG, Pereira LM et al (2016) Prevention of low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med 176(2):199–208. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.7431 CrossRef

Sullivan M, Karlsson J, Ware JE (1995) The Swedish SF-36 Health Survey: I. Evaluation of data quality, scaling assumptions, reliability and construct validity across general populations in Sweden. Soc Sci Med 41(10):1349–1358CrossRef

Sundstrup E et al (2017) Cumulative occupational mechanical exposures during working life and risk of sickness absence and disability pension: prospective cohort study. Scand J Work Environ Health 43(5):415–425. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3663 CrossRef

Tüchsen F, Hannerz H, Burr H (2006) A 12 year prospective study of circulatory disease among Danish shift workers. Occup Environ Med 63(7):451–455. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2006.026716 CrossRef

van Amelsvoort LGPM, Spigt MG, Swaen GMH, Kant I (2006) Leisure time physical activity and sickness absenteeism; a prospective study. Occup Med 56(3):210–212. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqj026 CrossRef

van de Schoot R, Sijbrandij M, Winter SD, Depaoli S, Vermunt JK (2016) The GRoLTS-checklist: guidelines for reporting on latent trajectory studies. Struct Equ Model Multidiscip J. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2016.1247646 CrossRef

Title: Sick leave due to musculoskeletal pain: determinants of distinct trajectories over 1 year
Authors: David M. Hallman
Andreas Holtermann
Martin Björklund
Nidhi Gupta
Charlotte D. Nørregaard Rasmussen
Publication date: 01-11-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keyword: Musculoskeletal Pain
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 8/2019
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-019-01447-y

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Sick leave due to musculoskeletal pain: determinants of distinct trajectories over 1 year

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 8/2019

Sleepiness among personnel in the Norwegian Air Ambulance Service

Inflammatory and coagulatory markers and exposure to different size fractions of particle mass, number and surface area air concentrations in Swedish iron foundries, in particular respirable quartz

General practitioner visits and physical activity with asthma—the role of job decision authority: a cross-sectional study

Job requirement level, work demands, and health: a prospective study among older workers

Cultural activity at work: reciprocal associations with depressive symptoms in employees

No impact of an extensive social intervention program on return to work and quality of life after acute cardiac event: a cluster-randomized trial in patients with negative occupational prognosis