MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS AND JOB STRAIN AMONG NURSING PERSONNEL - A STUDY OVER A 3 YEAR PERIOD

Objectives-To examine the variation of symptoms from the neck, shoulde rs, and back over a three year period among female nursing personnel a nd the relation between job strain and musculoskeletal symptoms. Metho ds-At a county hospital the female nursing personnel answered a questi onnaire at baseline and then once a year over a period of three years. There were 565, 553, 562, and 419 subjects who answered the questionn aire at the first, second, third, and fourth survey, respectively. Of the study group, 285 nursing personnel answered the questionnaire on f our occasions. Ongoing symptoms of the neck, shoulders, and back were assessed by means of a 10 point (0-9) scale with the verbal end points ((no symptoms'' and ((very intense symptoms.'' Cases were defined as nursing personnel reporting ongoing symptoms, score >6, from at least one of the body regions. For assessments of job strain, a Swedish vers ion of Karasek and Theorell's model was used. Results-Of the 285 subje cts, 13% were defined as cases at all four assessments, and 46% varied between cases and not cases during the study period. In the repeated cross sectional surveys the estimated rate ratio (RR) for being a case was between 1.1 and 1.5 when comparing the group with job strain and the group without job strain, For the combination of job strain and pe rceived high physical exertion the estimated RR was between 1.5 and 2. 1. When the potential risk factors were assessed one, two, or three ye ars before the assessment of symptoms the estimated RR for becoming a case was between 1.4 and 2.2 when comparing the group with job strain and the group without job strain. Conclusion-Almost half of the health care workers varied between being a case and not, over a three year pe riod. The analysis indicated that job strain is a risk factor for musc uloskeletal symptoms and that the risk is higher when it is combined w ith perceived high physical exertion.