TY - JOUR
T1 - Towards exposure limits for working postures and musculoskeletal symptoms – a prospective cohort study
AU - Coenen, Pieter
AU - Douwes, Marjolein
AU - van den Heuvel, Swenneke
AU - Bosch, Tim
PY - 2016/9/1
Y1 - 2016/9/1
N2 - Occupational postures are considered to be an important group of risk factors for musculoskeletal pain. However, the exposure-outcome association is not clear yet. Therefore, we aimed to determine the exposure-outcome association of working postures and musculoskeletal symptoms. Also, we aimed to establish exposure limits for working postures. In a prospective cohort study among 789 workers, intensity, frequency and duration of postures were assessed at baseline using observations. Musculoskeletal pain was assessed cross-sectionally and longitudinally and associations of postures and pain were addressed using logistic regression analyses. Cut-off points were estimated based on ROC-curve analyses. Associations were found for kneeling/crouching and low-back pain, neck flexion and rotation and neck pain, trunk flexion and low-back pain, and arm elevation and neck and shoulder pain. The results provide insight into exposure-outcome relations between working postures and musculoskeletal symptoms as well as evidence-based working posture exposure limits that can be used in future guidelines and risk assessment tools. Practitioner Summary: Our study gives insight into exposure-outcome associations of working postures and musculoskeletal symptoms (kneeling/crouching and low-back pain, neck flexion/rotation and neck pain, trunk flexion and low-back pain, and arm elevation and neck and shoulder pain). Results furthermore deliver evidence-based postural exposure limits that can be used in guidelines and risk assessments.
AB - Occupational postures are considered to be an important group of risk factors for musculoskeletal pain. However, the exposure-outcome association is not clear yet. Therefore, we aimed to determine the exposure-outcome association of working postures and musculoskeletal symptoms. Also, we aimed to establish exposure limits for working postures. In a prospective cohort study among 789 workers, intensity, frequency and duration of postures were assessed at baseline using observations. Musculoskeletal pain was assessed cross-sectionally and longitudinally and associations of postures and pain were addressed using logistic regression analyses. Cut-off points were estimated based on ROC-curve analyses. Associations were found for kneeling/crouching and low-back pain, neck flexion and rotation and neck pain, trunk flexion and low-back pain, and arm elevation and neck and shoulder pain. The results provide insight into exposure-outcome relations between working postures and musculoskeletal symptoms as well as evidence-based working posture exposure limits that can be used in future guidelines and risk assessment tools. Practitioner Summary: Our study gives insight into exposure-outcome associations of working postures and musculoskeletal symptoms (kneeling/crouching and low-back pain, neck flexion/rotation and neck pain, trunk flexion and low-back pain, and arm elevation and neck and shoulder pain). Results furthermore deliver evidence-based postural exposure limits that can be used in guidelines and risk assessments.
KW - Exposure assessment
KW - musculoskeletal pain
KW - occupational health
KW - work postures
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84959061817&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84959061817&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00140139.2015.1130862
DO - 10.1080/00140139.2015.1130862
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84959061817
VL - 59
SP - 1182
EP - 1192
JO - Ergonomics
JF - Ergonomics
SN - 0014-0139
IS - 9
ER -