The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Musculoskeletal pain in four occupational populations in Sri Lanka

Musculoskeletal pain in four occupational populations in Sri Lanka
Musculoskeletal pain in four occupational populations in Sri Lanka
Background Factors influencing work-related musculoskeletal disorders might differ in developing and developed countries.

Aims To assess the prevalence and determinants of musculoskeletal pain in four occupational populations in Sri Lanka.

Methods As part of the international Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability study, samples of postal workers, sewing machinists, nurses and computer operators were interviewed about pain at each of six anatomical sites in the past month, and about possible physical and psychosocial risk factors. Associations with prevalent pain were assessed by binomial regression.

Results Analysis was based on 852 participants (86% response rate). Overall, the lower back was the most common site of pain, with 1-month prevalence ranging from 12% in computer operators to 30% in nurses. Postal workers had the highest prevalence of shoulder pain (23%), but pain in the wrist/hand was relatively uncommon in all four occupational groups (prevalence rates ranged from 8% to 9%). Low mood and tendency to somatize were consistently associated with pain at all six sites. After adjustment for psychosocial risk factors, there was a higher rate of low back pain in nurses and postal workers than in computer operators, a higher rate of shoulder pain in postal workers than in the other occupational populations, and a relatively low rate of knee pain in computer operators.

Conclusions Rates of regional pain, especially at the wrist/hand, were lower than have been reported in Western countries. As elsewhere, pain was strongly associated with low mood and somatizing tendency. Differences in patterns of pain by occupation may reflect differences in physical activities.
elbow, knee, low back, low mood, neck, psychosocial, risk factor, shoulder, somatizing tendency, wrist
0962-7480
269-272
Warnakulasuriya, S.S.P.
e1bf237d-329f-4579-a696-cc406a6facda
Peiris-John, R.J.
50ea4a5d-db14-4f35-8b1b-1941b7c6af01
Coggon, D.
2b43ce0a-cc61-4d86-b15d-794208ffa5d3
Ntani, G.
9b009e0a-5ab2-4c6e-a9fd-15a601e92be5
Sathiakumar, N.
1187bc03-3371-45dd-acc7-cc01764cfa79
Wickremasighe, A.R.
34b8fd92-41f8-4a0e-b15f-e0f792e4d477
Warnakulasuriya, S.S.P.
e1bf237d-329f-4579-a696-cc406a6facda
Peiris-John, R.J.
50ea4a5d-db14-4f35-8b1b-1941b7c6af01
Coggon, D.
2b43ce0a-cc61-4d86-b15d-794208ffa5d3
Ntani, G.
9b009e0a-5ab2-4c6e-a9fd-15a601e92be5
Sathiakumar, N.
1187bc03-3371-45dd-acc7-cc01764cfa79
Wickremasighe, A.R.
34b8fd92-41f8-4a0e-b15f-e0f792e4d477

Warnakulasuriya, S.S.P., Peiris-John, R.J., Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Sathiakumar, N. and Wickremasighe, A.R. (2012) Musculoskeletal pain in four occupational populations in Sri Lanka. Occupational Medicine, 62 (4), 269-272. (doi:10.1093/occmed/kqs057). (PMID:22661663)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background Factors influencing work-related musculoskeletal disorders might differ in developing and developed countries.

Aims To assess the prevalence and determinants of musculoskeletal pain in four occupational populations in Sri Lanka.

Methods As part of the international Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability study, samples of postal workers, sewing machinists, nurses and computer operators were interviewed about pain at each of six anatomical sites in the past month, and about possible physical and psychosocial risk factors. Associations with prevalent pain were assessed by binomial regression.

Results Analysis was based on 852 participants (86% response rate). Overall, the lower back was the most common site of pain, with 1-month prevalence ranging from 12% in computer operators to 30% in nurses. Postal workers had the highest prevalence of shoulder pain (23%), but pain in the wrist/hand was relatively uncommon in all four occupational groups (prevalence rates ranged from 8% to 9%). Low mood and tendency to somatize were consistently associated with pain at all six sites. After adjustment for psychosocial risk factors, there was a higher rate of low back pain in nurses and postal workers than in computer operators, a higher rate of shoulder pain in postal workers than in the other occupational populations, and a relatively low rate of knee pain in computer operators.

Conclusions Rates of regional pain, especially at the wrist/hand, were lower than have been reported in Western countries. As elsewhere, pain was strongly associated with low mood and somatizing tendency. Differences in patterns of pain by occupation may reflect differences in physical activities.

Text
Warnakulasuriya Occupational Medicine 2012.pdf - Other
Restricted to Repository staff only
Request a copy

More information

Published date: June 2012
Keywords: elbow, knee, low back, low mood, neck, psychosocial, risk factor, shoulder, somatizing tendency, wrist
Organisations: Faculty of Health Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 346468
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/346468
ISSN: 0962-7480
PURE UUID: 6413825e-df7d-4b24-b55a-039ff90fb8b8
ORCID for D. Coggon: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1930-3987

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 08 Jan 2013 15:28
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:52

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: S.S.P. Warnakulasuriya
Author: R.J. Peiris-John
Author: D. Coggon ORCID iD
Author: G. Ntani
Author: N. Sathiakumar
Author: A.R. Wickremasighe

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×