Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015:2015:798042.
doi: 10.1155/2015/798042. Epub 2015 Oct 19.

Psychosocial Work Factors and Musculoskeletal Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study among Swedish Flight Baggage Handlers

Eva L Bergsten  1 , S E Mathiassen  2 , E Vingård  3
Affiliations

Psychosocial Work Factors and Musculoskeletal Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study among Swedish Flight Baggage Handlers

Eva L Bergsten et al. Biomed Res Int. 2015.

Abstract

Objective: Flight baggage handlers sort and load luggage to airplanes. This study aimed at investigating associations between psychosocial exposures and low back and shoulder musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among Swedish flight baggage handlers.

Methods: A questionnaire addressing MSDs (Standardized Nordic Questionnaire) and psychosocial factors (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, COPSOQ) was answered by 525 baggage handlers in six Swedish airports.

Results: Low back (LBP) and shoulder pain (SP) were reported by 70% and 60%, respectively. Pain was reported to interfere with work (PIW) by 30% (low back) and 18% (shoulders), and intense pain (PINT) occurred in 34% and 28% of the population. Quality of leadership was the most dissatisfying psychosocial factor, while the most positive was social community at work. Low ratings in the combined domain Work organization and job content were significantly associated with PIW in both low back and shoulders (Adjusted Hazard Ratios 3.65 (95% CI 1.67-7.99) and 2.68 (1.09-6.61)) while lower ratings in the domain Interpersonal relations and leadership were associated with PIW LBP (HR 2.18 (1.06-4.49)) and PINT LBP and SP (HRs 1.95 (1.05-3.65) and 2.11 (1.08-4.12)).

Conclusion: Severity of pain among flight baggage handlers was associated with psychosocial factors at work, suggesting that they may be a relevant target for intervention in this occupation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Global Airline Industry, 2014, http://web.mit.edu/airlines/analysis/analysis_airline_industry.html.
    1. Gallagher S. Physical limitations and musculoskeletal complaints associated with work in unusual or restricted postures: a literature review. Journal of Safety Research. 2005;36(1):51–61. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2004.12.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gallagher S., Heberger J. R. Examining the interaction of force and repetition on musculoskeletal disorder risk: a systematic literature review. Human Factors. 2013;55(1):108–124. doi: 10.1177/0018720812449648. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Van Rijn R. M., Huisstede B. M., Koes B. W., Burdorf A. Associations between work-related factors and specific disorders of the shoulder—a systematic review of the literature. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. 2010;36(3):189–201. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.2895. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Larsson B., Søgaard K., Rosendal L. Work related neck–shoulder pain: a review on magnitude, risk factors, biochemical characteristics, clinical picture and preventive interventions. Best Practice & Research: Clinical Rheumatology. 2007;21(3):447–463. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2007.02.015. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources