Regular use of pain medication due to musculoskeletal disorders in the general working population: Cross-sectional study among 10,000 workers
Corresponding Author
Emil Sundstrup PhD
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Correspondence to: Dr. Emil Sundstrup, National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, Copenhagen, Denmark. E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorMarkus D. Jakobsen PhD
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorMikkel Brandt MSc
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Physical Activity and Human Performance Group, SMI, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorKenneth Jay MSc
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorJeppe Z. N. Ajslev PhD
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorLars L. Andersen PhD
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Physical Activity and Human Performance Group, SMI, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Emil Sundstrup PhD
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Correspondence to: Dr. Emil Sundstrup, National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, Copenhagen, Denmark. E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorMarkus D. Jakobsen PhD
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorMikkel Brandt MSc
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Physical Activity and Human Performance Group, SMI, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorKenneth Jay MSc
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorJeppe Z. N. Ajslev PhD
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorLars L. Andersen PhD
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Physical Activity and Human Performance Group, SMI, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Background
We aimed to determine the association between work, health, and lifestyle with regular use of pain medication due to musculoskeletal disorders in the general working population.
Methods
Currently employed wage earners (N = 10,024) replied to questions about health, work, and lifestyle. The odds for regularly using medication for musculoskeletal disorders were modeled using logistic regression controlled for various confounders.
Results
Pain intensity increased the odds for using pain medication in a dose–response fashion. With seated work as reference, the odds for using pain medication were 1.26 (95%CI: 1.09–1.47) for workers engaged in standing or walking work that is not strenuous and 1.59 (95%CI: 1.39–1.82) for workers engaged in standing or walking work with lifting tasks or heavy and fast strenuous work.
Conclusions
Workers with higher levels of physical activity at work are more likely to use pain medication on a regular basis for musculoskeletal disorders, even when adjusting for pain intensity, lifestyle, and influence at work. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:934–941, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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