A1 Journal article (refereed)
Work-Related Biomechanical Exposure and Job Strain as Separate and Joint Predictors of Musculoskeletal Diseases : A 28-Year Prospective Follow-up Study (2017)

Prakash, K. C., Neupane, S., Leino-Arjas, P., von Bonsdorff, M., Rantanen, T., von Bonsdorff, M., Seitsamo, J., Ilmarinen, J., & Nygård, C.-H. (2017). Work-Related Biomechanical Exposure and Job Strain as Separate and Joint Predictors of Musculoskeletal Diseases : A 28-Year Prospective Follow-up Study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 186(11), 1256-1267. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwx189

JYU authors or editors

Rantanen, Taina
Bonsdorff von, Mikaela
von Bonsdorff, Monika

Publication details

All authors or editors: Prakash, K. C.; Neupane, Subas; Leino-Arjas, Päivi; von Bonsdorff, Mikaela; Rantanen, Taina; von Bonsdorff, Monika; Seitsamo, Jorma; Ilmarinen, Juhani; Nygård, Clas-Håkan

Journal or series: American Journal of Epidemiology

ISSN: 0002-9262

eISSN: 1476-6256

Publication year: 2017

Volume: 186

Issue number: 11

Pages range: 1256-1267

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwx189

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access:

Abstract

We investigated how work-related biomechanical exposure and job strain in midlife separately and jointly predicted back and degenerative musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs). A total of 6,257 employees participated in the Finnish Longitudinal Study on Aging Municipal Employees (FLAME) in 1981 and were followed up for 28 years. Risk ratios and the relative excessive risk due to interaction and 95% confidence intervals were modeled for separate and joint prediction estimates, respectively. After adjustment for confounders, job strain predicted degenerative MSDs among women after 4 and 11 years of follow-up. After 11 years, both exposures predicted both types of MSDs among men. Joint exposure predicted both types of MSDs after 4 years among women (for back MSDs, risk ratio (RR) = 1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15, 2.18; for degenerative MSDs, RR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.07) and men (for back MSDs, RR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.15; for degenerative MSDs, RR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.16, 2.22) and both types of MSDs after 11 years (for back MSDs, RR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.43; for degenerative MSDs, RR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.25, 2.46) among men only, but the relative excessive risk due to interaction was not significant throughout. However, after 28 years, the separate and joint exposures did not predict MSDs. Workplace interventions should be focused on reducing job strain along with biomechanical exposure for possible prevention of MSDs in working life and around the time of retirement, but there may be other pathways of onset of MSDs in old age.

Keywords: biomechanics; exposure; work; work burden; musculoskeletal system; psychosocial factors; interaction; musculoskeletal diseases; occupational exposure