Are determinants for new and persistent upper limb pain different? An analysis based on anatomical sites

Workplace Psychosocial Factors and Their Association With Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies

This systematic review examines literature regarding the relationship between workplace psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of work disability, resulting in billions of dollars of financial losses. Evidence suggests that workplace psychosocial factors can lead to the development and progression of MSDs. A data search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Scopus, and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) from August 2009 to May 2020 inclusive. Other eligibility criteria included studies published in English, conducted on adults within a workplace setting, conducted in developed economies, and were stability-control longitudinal observational studies. Studies were independently screened for eligibility, using COVIDENCE (software for managing and streamlining systematic reviews) and assessed for quality by multiple authors, using the JBI Evidence synthesis tool. From 6,812 studies, 47 articles were included in the final analysis. The most common MSDs investigated were lower back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and upper extremity symptoms and disorders. Included articles identified that psychosocial workplace factors of support, collaboration, job control, and job demands were statistically significantly associated with risk and progression of MSDs. Review of the articles included in this article supports the theory that MSDs have a multifactorial, complex etiology that includes psychosocial factors. Interventions to enhance psychosocial work environment provide opportunities to reduce the risk of MSDs.

Transcultural validation of the return-to-work self-efficacy scale in Korean patients with work-related injuries

Background

This study aimed to develop a Korean version of the Return-to-Work Self-Efficacy (RTWSE)-19 Scale using forward- and backward-translation and investigate the validity of the RTWSE Scale specifically for Korean workers with work-related injuries.

Methods

Participants were 202 injured workers who had filed a claim accepted by the workers’ compensation system and had received medical rehabilitation at workers’ compensation hospitals following a work-related musculoskeletal injury. Among these participants, 88.1% were male, 54.5% were over 45 years, 45.5% were manufacturing employees, and 54.5% were craft or machine operator and assemblers. The 19 item RTWSE-19 scale was developed by Shaw et al. and have three underlying subscales: (i) meeting job demands, (ii) modifying job tasks, and (iii) communicating needs to others. Statistical analysis included exploratory factor analysis (maximum likelihood estimation with oblique quartimin rotation), internal consistency reliability using Cronbach’s alpha, and correlations with related measures: pain intensity; fear-avoidance beliefs; general health; depression; and general self-efficacy.

Results

Using exploratory factor analysis, three factors with 17 items were identified: meeting job demands, modifying job tasks, and communicating needs to others. The removal of two items in the modifying job tasks domain resulted in an increased reliability. The Korean version of the RTWSE-17 showed reasonable model fit (CFI = .963; TLI = .943; RMSEA = .068; SRMR = 0.029), satisfactory reliability (r = 0.925), no floor and ceiling effect, and construct validity.

Conclusions

The Korean RTWSE-17 scale was found to possess good psychometric properties and could address different injury types ranging from fractures to amputations involved in sub-acute and rehabilitation phases in the Korean context. This study’s findings provide insights for practitioners and researchers to return to work after rehabilitation in a Korean clinical and workplace setting.

Psychological and psychosocial determinants of musculoskeletal pain and associated disability

Although much attention has been given to the physical determinants of common musculoskeletal complaints such as back and arm pain, research points to a stronger influence of psychological factors. Multiple studies have implicated poor mental health and somatisation (a tendency to worry about the common somatic symptoms) in the incidence and chronicity of musculoskeletal pain and associated disability. Also important are adverse beliefs about the prognosis of such disorders, and about the role of physical activity in their development and persistence. Differences in societal beliefs may have contributed to major variation in the prevalence of disabling musculoskeletal pain that has been observed between countries and in the same countries over time. Psychosocial aspects of work have also been linked with musculoskeletal pain, although relative risks have generally been smaller. There is a need to take account of psychological factors in the clinical management of patients with back, neck and arm pain.