Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and its relation to depression among workers in kindergarten

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among United Arab Emirates schoolteachers: an examination of physical activity

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and their association with physical activity among schoolteachers in the United Arab Emirates.

METHODS

This observational cross-sectional study involved 209 schoolteachers (aged 20-60) with a minimum of two years of experience. Data, including demographics (gender, age), Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) for WMSD prevalence and pain sites, and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) for physical activity levels, were collected. Six schools were visited for data collection, with consent from school heads and participants. Schedules were tailored to participant availability, allowing up to three attempts for participation. Non-respondents were identified after three unsuccessful attempts.

RESULTS

Of the total 206 participants, 149 were female, while the remaining 57 were male. Age distribution analysis revealed that 18% of individuals were within the 20 to 30 years range, 26.2% fell within the 30 to 40 years, and 36.9% had 40 to 50 years age brackets. The responses were obtained in Arabic (90%) and English (10%). The study identified a high prevalence (71.4%) of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) in UAE schoolteachers, with neck pain being the most common (74.3%). Major risk factors included age, workload, and low physical activity. The data was normally distributed, and Pearson's Correlation test revealed weak positive correlation (r: 0.14), but statistically significant (p value = 0.04) between WMSD and PA, indicating that it was a contributing factor but other factors beyond PA influenced WMSD prevalence in this cohort. The findings of the study are based on certain limitations such as cross-sectional design and convenient sampling which could have potential selection bias and affect generalizability of the results.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest the need to promote physical activity and reduce workload for teachers, considering their age and gender. Additionally, there is a need to raise awareness regarding ergonomics and the importance of taking short breaks for stretching or physical movement to enhance the overall well-being of schoolteachers in the UAE and similar contexts. Diverse prevalence rates across different body areas underscore the necessity for individualized treatments.

Persistence of Low Back Pain and Predictive Ability of Pain Intensity and Disability in Daily Life among Nursery School Workers in Japan: A Five-Year Panel Study

Nursery school workers are known for having a high prevalence of low back pain (LBP). The natural history of LBP and the determinants of persistent LBP remain unclear. We examined the prevalence of persistent LBP and whether pain intensity and disability in daily life due to LBP affected the persistence of LBP among these workers. A five-year panel study was conducted for 446 nursery school workers in Japan. LBP, pain intensity, and disability in daily life due to LBP were assessed with a self-administered questionnaire survey. Pain intensity was assessed using the numerical rating scale (NRS). The Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) was used to assess disability in daily life due to LBP. At baseline, 270 nursery school workers (60.5%) suffered from LBP. The estimated prevalence of persistent LBP was 84.6% (80.3-88.9%), 82.2% (77.7-86.8%), and 82.0% (77.4-86.5%) at 1, 3, and 5 years after the initial study, respectively. NRS scores of 5 or greater predicted the persistence of LBP at 1 and 3 years after the initial survey (adjusted odds ratios: 4.01 (1.27-12.6) and 8.51 (1.87-38.7), respectively), while RDQ scores did not. In conclusion, LBP highly persisted for a long time and pain intensity predicted persistent LBP among nursery school workers in Japan.

Psychosocial work characteristics and low back pain in daycare (nursery) workers in Japan: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal problems affecting daycare (nursery) workers. We aimed to identify the psychosocial factors influencing LBP in daycare workers.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study with a one-year observation period. The baseline sample was a convenience sample of 444 daycare workers from 34 daycare facilities in Nagoya, Japan, and its suburbs. All the data were collected through a questionnaire survey. The question "Where are you currently feeling LBP?" was used to determine whether the subjects suffered from LBP. We examined the prospective relationships of the psychosocial work characteristics, i.e., high job strain, low social support, effort-reward imbalance, and overcommitment, at baseline and LBP after one year. We used multiple logistic regression analyses to calculate the odds ratios of psychosocial work characteristics for the persistence and onset of LBP, adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, employment status, occupation, and working schedule.

RESULTS

At baseline, 270 (60.8%) subjects suffered from LBP. Of 208 who also gave information on LBP one year later, 176 (84.6%) suffered from the persistence of LBP. Low social support at baseline was significantly related to persistent LBP one year later. The incidence of persistent LBP was 89.9% and 80.0% among those with and without low social support at baseline, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of low social support at baseline for the persistence of LBP was 2.43 (1.01-5.87). Of 150 who were without LBP at baseline and provided information on LBP one year later, 45 (30.0%) suffered from the onset of LBP. None of the psychosocial work characteristics showed significant relationships with the onset of LBP one year later.

CONCLUSION

Low social support was related to the persistence, but not to the onset of LBP in a prospective cohort analysis among daycare workers in Japan. High job strain, ERI, or overcommitment did not show a significant prospective effect on LBP.

Long-term effect of a care manager on work ability for patients with depression – the PRIM-CARE RCT

BACKGROUND: Collaborative care with a care manager in primary care improves care. OBJECTIVE: To study whether care manager support leads to improved work ability, decreased job strain and reduced time of sick leave among primary care patients with depression. METHODS: A clinical effectiveness study of care managers for depression patients seeking care in primary care was conducted in a RCT 2014 –2016. Patients in the intervention group were assigned a care manager. In the 12-month follow-up, patients with employment (n = 269; intervention n = 142, control n = 127) were studied concerning work ability, job strain and sick leave. RESULTS: An association was shown between reduction of depressive symptoms and improved work ability for the entire group. At 12-month follow-up a statistically significant difference of reduction of depressive symptoms was seen between the groups (MADRS-S: intervention 10.8 vs control 13.1, p = 0.05) as well as increased quality of life (EQ-5D: intervention 0.77 vs control 0.70, p = 0.04). In the intervention group, a concordance was found between the patient’s prediction of return to work and the actual return to work (91%for intervention and 68 %for control group, p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to usual care, the care manager does not seem to further improve perception of work ability, job strain or perception of social support per se among the patients despite a long-term effect on depression symptoms. The lack of a long-term effect regarding these aspects may be due to the fact that care manager support was only provided during the first three months.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among schoolteachers

Introduction:

Teachers belong to a risk group for the onset of musculoskeletal disorders, which may be justified by some work-related factors, with a direct impact on their lives.

Objectives:

To evaluate the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders among elementary school teachers in Jequié, state of Bahia, Brazil, and to investigate the association of these disorders with sociodemographic, occupational, organizational and health variables.

Methods:

A cross-sectional epidemiological study with a sample of 304 elementary school teachers in Jequié. A standardized collection instrument was applied and the instrument data were analyzed using descriptive statistics procedures, with prevalence ratios and 95% confidence interval.

Results:

The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was 24.3% for any of the body segments, 15.5% for the back, 16.1% for the upper limbs and 12.5% for the lower limbs. There was a statistically significant association between musculoskeletal disorders and female sex, older age, black, brown and red skin, time working as a teacher of more than 14 years, presence of comorbidities, irregular sleeping pattern, consumption of alcohol and tobacco, and a regular lifestyle.

Conclusions:

Teachers presented a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in upper limbs, back, and lower limbs. In addition, associations with the investigated factors demonstrate that inadequate teaching conditions contribute negatively to teachers’ health.

Gender differences in teachers' occupational accidents

The authors stated that the main objective of the current research is to analyze the relationship between the gender of injured teachers and independent variables, such as age, place of the accident, absence days, and severity of the injury, to improve women's occupational health and safety. Teachers' accidents recorded in Spain (N = 136,702) from 2003 through 2018 were analyzed by calculating their incidence rates, using statistical tools for independent samples. Gender differences were found in some of the variables studied. Women were more likely to suffer an occupational accident. Compensation per lost working day was found to be statistically lower for women, but no differences based on gender were found in the absence days due to occupational accidents suffered by teachers. The salary gap should be addressed to avoid gender economic discrimination among injured teachers. Preventive strategies should be developed to mitigate the negative difference caused by gender variables.

Association of musculoskeletal pain with poor sleep quality in public school teachers

BACKGROUND

Teachers perform repetitive movements all day, which can cause pain in body regions. This article analyzes the association of pain with sleep quality in this population.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to analyze the relationship of musculoskeletal pain and sleep quality in teachers from public schools.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 242 teachers, selected in a random process. Musculoskeletal pain and sleep quality were evaluated by using a questionnaire. The association between sleep quality and musculoskeletal pain was evaluated using the chi-square test. The magnitude of the associations was verified by Binary Logistic Regression, adjusted by sex, age, BMI, and socioeconomic status.

RESULTS

Teachers with poor sleep quality presented higher body mass index (BMI) values when compared to teachers with good sleep quality (27.9 vs 26.0, p = 0.012). Teachers with poor sleep quality were approximately twice as likely to report thoracic pain (OR = 2.16[95% CI = 1.12-4.16]), wrist pain (OR = 3.28[95% CI = 1.18-9.07]), low back pain (OR = 3.09[95% CI = 1.29-7.41]), and ankle/foot pain (OR = 2.83[95% CI = 1.32-6.08]).

CONCLUSIONS

Teachers with poor sleep quality were approximately twice as likely to present pain in several body parts. Our findings revealed that poor sleep quality was significantly associated with musculoskeletal pain in Brazilian teachers of public schools, regardless of confounding factors.

Yoga improves occupational performance, depression, and daily activities for people with chronic pain

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain is a complex accumulation of physical, psychological, and social conditions, thus interventions that address pain and promote occupational performance are needed. A holistic intervention, with mind and body components, is likely necessary to best treat the complexities of chronic pain. Thus, we developed and tested a yoga intervention for people with chronic pain.

OBJECTIVES

In a randomized control trial (RCT), participants with chronic pain were randomized to a yoga intervention or usual care group. Between and within group differences for pre-and post-outcome measure scores were assessed for: occupational performance, completion of activities, and depression.

METHODS

Pilot RCT with participant allocation to 8 weeks of yoga or usual care. Both groups received ongoing monthly self-management programming. Data were collected before and after the 8-week intervention. Participants were randomized to yoga or usual care after baseline assessments. Demographics were collected and measures included: Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) to assess occupational performance; the 15-item Frenchay Activities Index (FAI)(activities); and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression. Independent t-tests were used to assess differences between groups. Paired t-tests were used to assess differences between pre- and post 8-week intervention for both the yoga and the usual care groups. Percent change scores and effect sizes were calculated.

RESULTS

83 people were recruited for the study and completed baseline assessments; 44 individuals were randomized to yoga and 39 to the control group. The average age of all participants was 51.4±10.5 years, 68% were female; and 60% had at least some college education. There were no significant differences in demographics or outcome measures between groups at baseline or 8 weeks; however, the study was not powered to see such differences. Individuals randomized to the control group did not significantly improve in any outcome measure over the 8 weeks. There were significant improvements in COPM performance and COPM satisfaction scores for individuals randomized to the yoga group; both scores significantly improved. COPM performance improved by 27% with a moderate to large effect size (3.66±1.85 vs 4.66±1.93, p < 0.001, d = 0.76). COPM satisfaction significantly improved by 78% (2.14±2.31 vs. 3.80±2.50, p < 0.001) and had a large effects size (d = 1.02). FAI scores improved, indicating increased activity or engagement in daily occupation during the 8-week intervention. Scores increased by 5% (38.13±8.48 vs. 39.90±8.57, p = 0.024) with a small effect size (d = 0.37). Depression significantly decreased from 13.21±5.60 to 11.41±5.82, p = 0.041, with a small effect size.

CONCLUSION

Data from this pilot RCT indicate yoga may be an effective therapeutic intervention with people in chronic pain to improve occupational performance, increase engagement in activities, and decrease depression. Occupational therapy practitioners may consider adding yoga as a treatment intervention to address the needs of people with pain.