ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN SELF-RATED PSYCHOSOCIAL WORK CONDITIONS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS

Objectives The aim was to study the associations between self-rated ps ychosocial work conditions and the characteristics and location of mus culoskeletal symptoms, signs, and syndromes. Methods Perceived psychos ocial work conditions were recorded in a cross-sectional study with 35 8 men and women in various occupations. Symptoms were recorded from th e musculoskeletal system with a questionnaire, and signs were detected in a medical examination of all body regions. The analyses of statist ical associations between the psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders were performed with control for age, gender, and physical l oad. Results The most consistent and pronounced associations were main ly seen between poor psychosocial work conditions and coexisting sympt oms and signs of the neck and back regions. Poor psychosocial work con ditions were more consistently and strongly associated with signs of m uscular (soft tissue) tenderness than with signs of tenderness in the joints, tendons, or muscular insertions or signs in nerve compression tests. Mainly low social support at work, but also high psychological demands and high job strain, were associated with such symptoms and si gns, whereas decision latitude at work showed few associations with mu sculoskeletal disorders. Conclusions Perceived poor psychosocial work conditions are statistically associated mainly with symptoms and signs of muscular tenderness in the central body regions. Studies on associ ations between psychosocial work conditions and musculoskeletal disord ers should separate effect measures of different clinical signs and di fferent body regions in order to avoid attenuation of the risk estimat es.