Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Multisite musculoskeletal pain among young technical school students entering working life

Authors: Therese Nordberg Hanvold, Lars-Kristian Lunde, Markus Koch, Morten Wærsted, Kaj Bo Veiersted

Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders | Issue 1/2016

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

There is a need to investigate the occurrence of multisite pain in young adults and to determine potential factors contributing to the early course of multisite musculoskeletal pain. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the occurrence and change of prevalence in the number of pain sites. We also wanted to identify work-related and individual risk factors associated with the number of musculoskeletal pain sites.

Methods

We monitored musculoskeletal pain from 4 body regions, individual and work-related factors on 21 occasions over a 6.5 year period. The cohort consisted of 420 technical school students entering working life. Data were analyzed by generalized estimating equations (GEE).

Results

Pain from more than one body site was prevalent in this cohort of young adults (69 % at baseline), and the number of body sites in pain was found quite stable over the 6.5 year follow-up period. Women had higher number of pain sites compared with men and gender specific risk factors were identified. Increased mechanical workload and quantitative demands and low socioeconomic status were associated with increased number of musculoskeletal pain sites among women, while tobacco use was found as a risk factor among young men. Increased perceived muscle tension was the only factor significantly associated with increased number of pain sites in both genders.

Conclusion

The current study supports earlier findings and show that pain from multiple body sites are frequent also among young workers. The identification of gender specific risk factors in our study is important and may facilitate practical prevention and future research.
Literature
1.
Ariëns GAM, van Mechelen W, Bongers PM, Bouter LM, van der Wal G. Physical risk factors for neck pain. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2000;26(1):7–19.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Mayer J, Kraus T, Ochsmann E. Longitudinal evidence for the association between work-related physical exposures and neck and/or shoulder complaints: a systematic review. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2012;85(6):587–603.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Sterud T, Tynes T. Work-related psychosocial and mechanical risk factors for low back pain: a 3-year follow-up study of the general working population in Norway. Occup Environ Med. 2013;70:296–302.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Kraatz S, Lang J, Kraus T, Münster E, Ochsmann E. The incremental effect of psychosocial workplace factors on the development of neck and shoulder disorders: a systematic review of longitudinal studies. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2013;86(4):375–95.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Kamaleri Y, Natvig B, Ihlebaek CM, Benth JS, Bruusgaard D. Number of pain sites is associated with demographic, lifestyle, and health-related factors in the general population. Eur J Pain. 2008;12(6):742–8.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Miranda H, Kaila-Kangas L, Heliövaara M, Leino-Arjas P, Haukka E, Liira J, Viikari-Juntura E. Musculoskeletal pain at multiple sites and its effects on work ability in a general working population. Occup Environ Med. 2010;67(7):449–55.
7.
Carnes D, Parsons S, Ashby D, Breen A, Foster NE, Pincus T, Vogel S, Underwood M. Chronic musculoskeletal pain rarely presents in a single body site: results from a UK population study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2007;46(7):1168–70.
8.
Kamaleri Y, Natvig B, Ihlebaek CM, Bruusgaard D. Localized or widespread musculoskeletal pain: does it matter? Pain. 2008;138(1):41–6.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Kamaleri Y, Natvig B, Ihlebaek CM, Bruusgaard D. Does the number of musculoskeletal pain sites predict work disability? A 14-year prospective study. Eur J Pain. 2009;13(4):426–30.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Morken T, Riise T, Moen B, Hauge SHV, Holien S, Langedrag A, Pedersen S, Saue IL, Seljebø GM, Thoppil V. Low back pain and widespread pain predict sickness absence among industrial workers. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2003;4:21.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
11.
Coggon D, Ntani G, Palmer KT, Felli VE, Harari R, Barrero LH, Felknor SA, Gimeno D, Cattrell A, Vargas-Prada S, et al. Patterns of multisite pain and associations with risk factors. Pain. 2013;154(9):1769–77.
12.
Solidaki E, Chatzi L, Bitsios P, Markatzi I, Plana E, Castro F, Palmer K, Coggon D, Kogevinas M. Work-related and psychological determinants of multisite musculoskeletal pain. Scand JWork Environ Health. 2010;36(1):54–61.
13.
Kamaleri Y, Natvig B, Ihlebaek CM, Benth JS, Bruusgaard D. Change in the number of musculoskeletal pain sites: A 14-year prospective study. Pain. 2009;141(1–2):25–30.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Hanvold TN, Wærsted M, Mengshoel AM, Bjertness E, Twisk J, Veiersted KB. A longitudinal study on risk factors for neck and shoulder pain among young adults in the transition from technical school to working life. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2014;40(6):597–609.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Kuorinka I, Jonsson B, Kilbom Å, Vinterberg H, Biering-Sørensen F, Andersson G, Jørgensen K. Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Appl Ergonomics. 1987;18(3):233–7.
16.
Steingrímsdóttir ÓA, Vøllestad NK, Røe C, Knardahl S. Variation in reporting of pain and other subjective health complaints in a working population and limitations of single sample measurements. Pain. 2004;110(1–2):130–9.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Wold B, Hetland J, Aarø LE, Samdal O, Torsheim T. Utviklingstrekk i helse og livsstil blant barn og unge fra Norge, Sverige, Ungarn og Wales. Resultater fra landsomfattende spørreskjema-undersøkelser tilknyttet prosjektet “Helsevaner blant skoleelever. En WHO undersøkelse i flere land (HEVAS)”. Trends in health and lifestyle in children and adolescents in Norway, Sweden, Hungary and Wales. Results from nationwide surveys in “Health Behavior in School-aged Children, a WHO Cross-National Study (HBSC)”. In: HEMIL-senteret (Research Centre for Health Promotion). Norway: University of Bergen; 2000.
18.
Nordander C, Ohlsson K, Balogh I, Rylander L, Pålsson B, Skerfving S. Fish processing work: the impact of two sex dependent exposure profiles on musculoskeletal health. Occup Environ Med. 1999;56:256–64.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
19.
Theorell T, Harms-Ringdahl K, Ahlberg-Hultén G, Westin B. Psychosocial job factors and symptoms from the locomotor system - a multicausal analysis. Scand J Rehabil Med. 1991;23(3):165–73.PubMed
20.
Reitan RM, Wolfson D. The Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological test battery, Theory and clinical implication. Arizona: Neuropsychology press; 1985.
21.
Brox JI, Brevik JI, Ljunggren AE, Staff PH. Influence of anthropometric and psychological variables, pain and disability on isometric endurance of shoulder abduction in patients with rotator tendinosis of the shoulder. Scand J Rehab Med. 1996;28:193–200.
22.
Balogh I, Ørbæk P, Winkel J, Nordander C, Ohlsson K, Ektor-Andersen J, Group MS-NS. Questionnaire-based mechanical exposure indices for large population studies - reliability, internal consistency and predictive validity. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2001;27(1):41–8.
23.
Dallner M, Elo AL, Gamberale F, Hottinen V, Knardahl S, Lindström K, Skogstad A, Ørhede E. Validation of the General Nordic Questionnaire (QPSNordic) for psychological and social factors at work, vol. 12. Nord: Nordic Council of Ministers; 2000. p. 171.
24.
Svenssen T: Longitudinelle studier og attrisjonsskjevhet. Analyse av attrisjon i MÅMS-studien [Longitudinal studies and attrition bias. Analysis of attrition in the MÅMS-study]. Universitetet for miljø- og biovitenskap, Institutt for husdyr- og akvakulturvitenskap; 2011.
25.
Spratt M, Carpenter J, Sterne JAC, Carlin JB, Heron J, Henderson J, Tilling K. Strategies for multiple imputation in longitudinal studies. Am J Epidemiol. 2010;172(4):478–87.
26.
Rubin DB. Multiple imputation after 18+ years. J Am Stat Assoc. 1996;91(434):473–89.CrossRef
27.
Papageorgiou AC, Silman AJ, Macfarlane GJ. Chronic widespread pain in the population: a seven year follow up study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2002;61(12):1071–4.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
28.
Neupane S. Multi-site Musculoskeletal Pain among Industrial Workers, Occurrence, determinants and consequences for work ability and sickness absence. Tampere: University of Tampere; 2012.
29.
Neupane S, Virtanen P, Leino-Arjas P, Miranda H, Siukola A, Nygård CH. Multi-site pain and working conditions as predictors of work ability in a 4-year follow-up among food industry employees. Eur J Pain. 2013;17(3):444–51.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Mehlum IS, Kristensen P, Veiersted KB, Wærsted M, Punnett L. Does the threshold for reporting musculoskeletal pain or the probability of attributing work-relatedness vary by socioeconomic position or sex? J Occup Environ Med. 2013;55(8):901–9.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Harkness EF, Macfarlane GJ, Nahit E, Silman AJ, McBeth J. Mechanical injury and psychosocial factors in the work place predict the onset of widespread body pain: a two-year prospective study among cohorts of newly employed workers. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50(5):1655–64.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Neupane S, Miranda H, Virtanen P, Siukola A, Nygård CH. Do physical or psychosocial factors at work predict multi-site musculoskeletal pain? A 4-year follow-up study in an industrial population. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2013;86(5):581–9.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Haukka E, Leino-Arjas P, Ojajärvi A, Takala EP, Viikari-Juntura E, Riihimäki H. Mental stress and psychosocial factors at work in relation to multiple-site musculoskeletal pain: A longitudinal study of kitchen workers. Eur J Pain. 2011;15(4):432–8.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Holte KA, Vasseljen O, Westgaard RH. Exploring perceived tension as a response to psychosocial work stress. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2003;29(2):124–33.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Von Korff M, Dworkin SF, Le Resche L, Kruger A. An epidemiologic comparison of pain complaints. Pain. 1988;32(2):173–83.CrossRef
36.
Mehlum IS, Kristensen P, Kjuus H, Wergeland E. Are occupational factors important determinants of socioeconomic inequalities in musculoskeletal pain? Scand J Work Environ Health. 2008;34(4):250–9.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Little RJA, Rubin DB. Statistical analysis with missing data Second edition edn. Hoboken: New Jersey John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 2002.
38.
Podsakoff PM, MacKenzie SB, Lee JY, Podsakoff NP. Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. J Appl Psychol. 2003;88(5):879–903.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Multisite musculoskeletal pain among young technical school students entering working life
Authors
Therese Nordberg Hanvold
Lars-Kristian Lunde
Markus Koch
Morten Wærsted
Kaj Bo Veiersted
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2474
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-016-0938-6

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 1/2016 Go to the issue

Research article

A double blind randomized active-controlled clinical trial on the intra-articular use of Md-Knee versus sodium hyaluronate in patients with knee osteoarthritis (“Joint”)

Research article

Biomechanical response of lumbar facet joints under follower preload: a finite element study

Research Article

A numerical study to determine the effect of ligament stiffness on kinematics of the lumbar spine during flexion

Research article

Preoperative pain catastrophizing and postoperative pain after total knee arthroplasty: a prospective cohort study with one year follow-up

Research article

Progression of lumbar disc herniations over an eight-year period in a group of adult Danes from the general population – a longitudinal MRI study using quantitative measures

Research article

MRI analysis of tibial PCL attachment in a large population of adult patients: reference data for anatomic PCL reconstruction