Interrelationships between pain, disability, general health, and quality of life and associations with work-related and individual factors: a study among workers on sickness absence for 2 to 6 weeks for musculoskeletal complaints

Abstract

Study design: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To measure interrelationships among pain, functional disability, general health, and overall quality of life for workers on sickness absence for 2 to 6 weeks due to musculoskeletal complaints, and to assess the impact of work-related and individual characteristics on these different health dimensions. The results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between health and functional disability.

Summary of background data: When choosing a patient-based outcome measure, different health dimensions must be considered. For musculoskeletal complaints, four health dimensions are important: pain, disability, general health, and overall quality of life. Improvement at one dimension does not necessarily correlate with better health on another dimension. Moreover, correlations between different dimensions may be influenced by individual and environmental factors. However, it is not known whether these factors influence different health dimensions differently.

Methods: A total of 218 workers on sickness absence for 2 to 6 weeks due to musculoskeletal complaints completed a questionnaire on four different health dimensions and work-related and environmental factors.

Results: Moderate correlations (r < 0.50) among measures of pain, disability, general health, and quality of life were found. These health dimensions were not influenced by work-related physical and psychosocial workload, suggesting no impact of recall bias in studies for work-related musculoskeletal complaints. Self-perceived ability to return to work within 6 weeks explained 21% to 26% of the outcomes on pain and disability and contributed less to the generic measures of health.

Conclusion: Within a population of workers on sickness absence for 2 to 6 weeks, specific dimensions of pain and disability seem to be more appropriate measures of health than generic instruments of general health and quality of life.