BACKGROUND It is unclear whether the well-known risk factors for the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) also play an important role in the determining consequences of MSD in terms of sickness absence and health care use. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among 853 shipyard employees. Data were collected by questionnaire on physical and psychosocial workload, need for re...

BACKGROUND Musculoskeletal complaints are frequent and have large consequences for public health. Information about the prognosis after presentation in general practice is far from complete. Knowledge about determinants of the clinical course of musculoskeletal complaints is essential for management decisions and to inform patients about their prognosis. The purpose of this study is to provide ...

OBJECTIVES This cross-sectional study was performed in order to elucidate the relationship of musculoskeletal complaints with age, gender and physically demanding work in the Netherlands. METHODS Questionnaire data of male (n = 36756) and female (n = 7730) employees, gathered as part of periodical occupational health surveys among active workers in the Netherlands, were stratified for age, ge...

OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints of the back, arms or neck, and legs among nurses, and to investigate the relation between these complaints and various work related and personal variables. METHODS A questionnaire survey was carried out in four nursing homes in The Netherlands. RESULTS The response was 95% and resulted in 846 completed questionnaires. It w...

An organizational change among 82 postal workers was studied with the aim of evaluating the effects on the work environment, work ability, and musculoskeletal complaints. The study was undertaken in 2 suburbs of Stockholm, Sweden. Psychological work demands were estimated to be reduced at the 1-year follow-up but physical work demands had changed very little. In an observation study in a subgro...

  Background :Musculoskeletal disorders are among the most prevalent occupational disorders in different jobs such as office work. Some interventions such as ergonomic modifications and workplace exercises are introduced as the methods for alleviating these disorders. In this study we compared the effect of ergonomic modifications and workplace exercises on musculoskeletal pain and discomfort i...

BACKGROUND Pain and musculoskeletal complaints are among the most common symptoms in the general population. Despite their epidemiological, clinical and health economic importance, prevalence data on pain and musculoskeletal complaints for Germany are scarce. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of a random sample of citizens of Herne, Germany, aged ≥ 40 years was performed. A detailed self-compl...