Top

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

Published in:

Open Access 25-09-2023 | Original Article

Within-individual changes in physical work demands associated with self-reported health and musculoskeletal symptoms: a cohort study among Dutch workers

Authors: Bart Cillekens, Emma van Eeghen, Karen M. Oude Hengel, Pieter Coenen

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 9/2023

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate changes in physical work demands in association with self-rated health and musculoskeletal symptoms.

Methods

Data from five waves over the period 2019–2021 of the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey COVID-19 were available for 7191 participants aged 19–64 years who worked (partly) on-site during at least two consecutive waves. Logistic generalized estimated equations (GEE) were used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for changes (increase or decrease compared to no change) in physical work demands between two waves and poor self-rated health and musculoskeletal symptoms in the following wave, adjusted for the health outcome at the first wave, age, educational level, working hours and hours worked from home.

Results

In females, a statistically significant association was found between an increase in physical work demands compared to no change and musculoskeletal symptoms (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.17–1.65). A decrease in physical work demands in females was not statistically significantly associated with musculoskeletal symptoms (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.80–1.08). Similar trends were found for poor self-rated health, although non-statistically significant. For males, comparable but attenuated associations were found.

Conclusion

While our study showed that increasing physical work demands are associated with adverse health (self-reported and musculoskeletal), it did not appear to benefit worker’s health to reduce work demands. Future research with multiple measurements in a shorter period and additionally using devices to measure physical work demands will be needed to confirm our study results.

Available only for authorised users

Adanaqué-Bravo I, Escobar-Segovia K, Gómez-Salgado J, García-Iglesias JJ, Fagundo-Rivera J, Ruiz-Frutos C (2022) Relationship between psychological distress, burnout and work engagement in workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review. Int J Public Health 67:1605605. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2022.1605605CrossRef

Åkerstedt T, Discacciati A, Häbel H, Westerlund H (2019) Psychosocial work demands and physical workload decrease with ageing in blue-collar and white-collar workers: a prospective study based on the SLOSH cohort. BMJ Open 9(9):e030918. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030918CrossRef

Allesøe K, Aadahl M, Jacobsen RK, Kårhus LL, Mortensen OS, Korshøj M (2023) Prospective relationship between occupational physical activity and risk of ischaemic heart disease: are men and women differently affected? Eur J Prev Cardiol. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwad067CrossRef

Andersen LB (2004) Relative risk of mortality in the physically inactive is underestimated because of real changes in exposure level during follow-up. Am J Epidemiol 160(2):189–195. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwh195CrossRef

Asare BY, Robinson S, Kwasnicka D, Powell D (2023) Application of ecological momentary assessment in studies with rotation workers in the resources and related construction sectors: a systematic review. Saf Health Work 14(1):10–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2022.10.004CrossRef

Badarin K, Hemmingsson T, Almroth M, Falkstedt D, Hillert L, Kjellberg K (2022) Does a change to an occupation with a lower physical workload reduce the risk of disability pension? A cohort study of employed men and women in Sweden. Scand J Work Environ Health 48(8):662–671. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4053CrossRef

Burdorf A, Windhorst J, van der Beek AJ, van der Molen H, Swuste PHJJ (2007) The effects of mechanised equipment on physical load among road workers and floor layers in the construction industry. Int J Ind Ergon 37(2):133–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ergon.2006.10.007CrossRef

Campos-Serna J, Ronda-Perez E, Artazcoz L, Moen BE, Benavides FG (2013) Gender inequalities in occupational health related to the unequal distribution of working and employment conditions: a systematic review. Int J Equity Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-12-57CrossRef

Cillekens B et al (2022) Physical activity at work may not be health enhancing. A systematic review with meta-analysis on the association between occupational physical activity and cardiovascular disease mortality covering 23 studies with 655,892 participants. Scand J Work Environ Health 48(2):86–98. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3993CrossRef

Coenen P et al (2018) Do highly physically active workers die early? A systematic review with meta-analysis of data from 193,696 participants. Br J Sports Med 52(20):1320–1326. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098540CrossRef

da Costa BR, Vieira ER (2010) Risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review of recent longitudinal studies. Am J Ind Med 53(3):285–323. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.20750CrossRef

Das B, Gangopadhyay S, Ghosh T (2021) The effects of using an ergonomic aid on the physical workload and body discomfort reported by pre-adolescent farmers in West Bengal India. Work 70(2):571–582. https://doi.org/10.3233/wor-213593CrossRef

El-Tallawy SN, Nalamasu R, Salem GI, LeQuang JAK, Pergolizzi JV, Christo PJ (2021) Management of musculoskeletal pain: an update with emphasis on chronic musculoskeletal pain. Pain Ther 10(1):181–209. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-021-00235-2CrossRef

Grandjean P, Budtz-Jorgensen E, Keiding N, Weihe P (2004) Underestimation of risk due to exposure misclassification. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 17(1):131–136

Grzywiński W, Turowski R, Jelonek T, Tomczak A (2022) Physiological workload of workers employed during motor-manual timber harvesting in young alder stands in different seasons. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 35(4):437–447. https://doi.org/10.13075/ijomeh.1896.01862CrossRef

Guettler NJ (2023) Will sex differences have to be considered in future studies on health effects of occupational physical activity? Eur J Prev Cardiol. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwad091CrossRef

Hartvigsen J, Bakketeig LS, Leboeuf-Yde C, Engberg M, Lauritzen T (2001) The association between physical workload and low back pain clouded by the “healthy worker” effect: population-based cross-sectional and 5-year prospective questionnaire study. Spine (phila Pa 1976) 26(16):1788–1792. https://doi.org/10.1097/00007632-200108150-00011. (discussion 1792–3)CrossRef

Holtermann A, Mortensen OS, Burr H, Søgaard K, Gyntelberg F, Suadicani P (2009) The interplay between physical activity at work and during leisure time—risk of ischemic heart disease and all-cause mortality in middle-aged Caucasian men. Scand J Work Environ Health 35(6):466–474. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.1357CrossRef

Hooftman WM, GMJ, Knops JCM, van Dam LMC, de Vroome EMM, Janssen BJM, Pleijers AJSF, van den Bossche SNJ (2020) Nationale enquête arbeidsomstandigheden methodologie en globale resultaten (The Netherlands working conditions survey 2019: methodology and overall results). Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek & TNO, Leiden, the Netherlands

Ilmarinen J, Tuomi K, Klockars M (1997) Changes in the work ability of active employees over an 11-year period. Scand J Work Environ Health 23(Suppl 1):49–57

Kenny GP, Yardley JE, Martineau L, Jay O (2008) Physical work capacity in older adults: implications for the aging worker. Am J Ind Med 51(8):610–625. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.20600CrossRef

Krause N et al (2007) Occupational physical activity, energy expenditure and 11-year progression of carotid atherosclerosis. Scand J Work Environ Health 33(6):405–424. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.1171CrossRef

Mänty M et al (2022) Physical working conditions and subsequent sickness absence: a record linkage follow-up study among 19–39-year-old municipal employees. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 95(2):489–497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-021-01791-yCrossRef

Midi H, Sarkar SK, Rana S (2010) Collinearity diagnostics of binary logistic regression model. J Interdiscip Math 13(3):253–267. https://doi.org/10.1080/09720502.2010.10700699CrossRef

Nordander C et al (2008) Gender differences in workers with identical repetitive industrial tasks: exposure and musculoskeletal disorders. Int Arch Occ Env Hea 81(8):939–947. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-007-0286-9CrossRef

Oude Hengel K, Bouwens L, Wonder W, de Vroome E, Hooftman W (2022) the NWCS-COVID-19 cohort study: five waves (2019–2020–2021) Reading guide. TNO

Pedersen J, Schultz BB, Madsen IEH, Solovieva S, Andersen LL (2020) High physical work demands and working life expectancy in Denmark. Occup Environ Med 77(8):576. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2019-106359CrossRef

Proper KI, Cillekens B, Twisk JWR, Coenen P, Robroek SJW, van Oostrom SH (2020) The mediating effect of unhealthy behaviors and body mass index in the relation between high physical workload and self-rated poor health in male construction workers. J Occup Environ Med 62(8):e414–e422. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000001928CrossRef

Rodgers JL et al (2019) Cardiovascular risks associated with gender and aging. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd6020019CrossRef

Saastamoinen P, Laaksonen M, Lahelma E, Lallukka T, Pietilainen O, Rahkonen O (2014) Changes in working conditions and subsequent sickness absence. Scand J Work Environ Health 40(1):82–88. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3379CrossRef

Safiri S et al (2021) Prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years due to musculoskeletal disorders for 195 countries and territories 1990–2017. Arthritis Rheumatol 73(4):702–714. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.41571CrossRef

Sandlund J, Srinivasan D, Heiden M, Mathiassen SE (2017) Differences in motor variability among individuals performing a standardized short-cycle manual task. Hum Mov Sci 51:17–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2016.10.009CrossRef

Schram JLD et al (2020) Influence of changing working conditions on exit from paid employment among workers with a chronic disease. Occup Environ Med 77(9):628. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2019-106383CrossRef

Serna Arnau S, Asensio-Cuesta S, Porcar Seder R (2023) Musculoskeletal disorders risk assessment methods: a scoping review from a sex perspective. Ergonomics. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2023.2168767CrossRef

Smith P, Beaton D (2008) Measuring change in psychosocial working conditions: methodological issues to consider when data are collected at baseline and one follow-up time point. Occup Environ Med 65(4):288–295. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2006.032144CrossRef

Straker L, Mathiassen SE (2009) Increased physical work loads in modern work—a necessity for better health and performance? Ergonomics 52(10):1215–1225. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140130903039101CrossRef

Suorsa K et al (2022) Work ability and physical fitness among aging workers: the Finnish Retirement and Aging Study. Eur J Ageing 19(4):1301–1310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-022-00714-1CrossRef

Taimela S et al (2007) Self-reported health problems and sickness absence in different age groups predominantly engaged in physical work. Occup Environ Med 64(11):739. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2006.027789CrossRef

Tavakol M, Dennick R (2011) Making sense of Cronbach’s alpha. Int J Med Educ 2:53–55. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfdCrossRef

van de Ven D et al (2022) Associations of within-individual changes in working conditions, health behaviour and BMI with work ability and self-rated health: a fixed effects analysis among Dutch workers. BMJ Open 12(4):e058574. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058574CrossRef

van der Noordt M, Hordijk HJ, Ijzelenberg W, van Tilburg TG, van der Pas S, Deeg DJH (2019) Trends in working conditions and health across three cohorts of older workers in 1993, 2003 and 2013: a cross-sequential study. BMC Public Health 19(1):1376. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7736-7CrossRef

Venema ADV, Hulsegge EMM, Houtman G, Gielen ILD, Kraan W, der Maur KO, Pleijers M, van Thor A, Douwes J, Heijnen M, Eysink M, Visser P, van der Molen SH (2020) Arbobalans 2020: quality of work, outcomes and measures in the Netherlands: summary. TNO

Waters TR, Dick RB (2015) Evidence of health risks associated with prolonged standing at work and intervention effectiveness. Rehabil Nurs 40(3):148–165. https://doi.org/10.1002/rnj.166CrossRef

Wiezer N, Hengel KO, Zoomer T, Hooftman W (2022) Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands. Saf Health Work 13:S78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2021.12.983CrossRef

Title: Within-individual changes in physical work demands associated with self-reported health and musculoskeletal symptoms: a cohort study among Dutch workers
Authors: Bart Cillekens
Emma van Eeghen
Karen M. Oude Hengel
Pieter Coenen
Publication date: 25-09-2023
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 9/2023
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-023-02008-0

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Within-individual changes in physical work demands associated with self-reported health and musculoskeletal symptoms: a cohort study among Dutch workers

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 9/2023

Organizational interventions and occupational burnout: a meta-analysis with focus on exhaustion

Changes in anxiety and depression among public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic response

Longitudinal profiles of occupational physical activity during late midlife and their association with functional limitations at old age: a multi-cohort study

Exploring the effects of predominantly female jobs on demands and resources at work and consequently on health and performance in the Province of Québec, Canada

Bisphenol A accelerates the vascular complications in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus through vascular calcification—a molecular approach

Difference in employment status and onset of disability among Japanese community-dwelling older adults: a prospective cohort study