BACKGROUND Waste collection workers are exposed to several occupational stressors which may affect their quality of life. Our aim was to assess the health status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of municipal waste collection workers of a big German city. METHODS Cross-sectional study with a non-random sample of 65 (62 male, 3 female) workers of the Hamburg sanitation department, vol...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of work tasks, physical exposure, and psychosocial factors on the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in men and women, in a defined industrial setting. METHODS 116 male and 206 female fish industry workers were compared with 129 men and 208 women with more varied work. Physical and psychosocial work load as well as musculoskeletal complaints were recorded by a...

OBJECTIVES Children with generalized hypermobility of the joints and musculoskeletal complaints frequently visit pediatric clinics, but many show no currently known collagen or other possibly related diseases. Whether the symptoms are confined to the musculoskeletal system is unknown. We assessed whether such children have detectable differences in laxity of connective tissue present in organ s...

Primary contact health care practitioners can play an important role in work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) by recognizing and addressing occupational health issues. It is important to recognize ergonomics as a possible factor in patient health and recovery. A case is presented of a 36-year-old male suffering from neck and trapezius pain. Ergonomic factors at his workstation were id...