| 1. |
- Skillgate, Eva, et al.
(författare)
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Is smoking and alcohol consumption associated with long-term sick leave due to unspecific back or neck pain among employees in the public sector? Results of a three-year follow-up cohort study
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. - : Medical Journals Sweden AB. - 1650-1977 .- 1651-2081. ; 41:7, s. 550-556
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between smoking and alcohol consumption, and long-term sick leave due to unspecific back or neck pain among employees in the public sector. DESIGN: A 3-year prospective cohort study. SUBJECTS: Approximately 9000 persons in the public sector in Sweden were invited to participate. Of these, 7533 answered a questionnaire and 6532 were included in the study, classified as having "good health for working". METHODS: New periods of sick leave >or= 28 days were consecutively reported from the employers or the occupational health service during a period of 3 years. Rate ratios were estimated by means of Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS: Smoking was associated with an increased risk of long-term sick leave due to unspecific back or neck pain. Compared with people who have never smoked, "ever smokers" had a higher risk (rate ratio = 1.8, 95% confidence interval: 1.3-2.4). Alcohol consumption tended to be associated with a decreased risk, but the results were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that smoking is a risk factor for long-term sick leave due to unspecific back or neck pain. Moderate alcohol consumption tends to have a protective effect, at least among women in the public sector.
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| 2. |
- Skillgate, Eva, et al.
(författare)
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Life events and the risk of low back and neck/shoulder pain of the kind people are seeking care for : results from the MUSIC-Norrtalje case-control study
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. - : BMJ. - 0143-005X .- 1470-2738. ; 61:4, s. 356-361
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To expand the knowledge about the occurrence of life events, and how they affect the risk of low back and neck/shoulder pain. Design: A population-based case-control study. Setting: Men and women 20-59-years old, living in and not working outside the municipality of Norrtalje, Sweden, from November 1993 to November 1997. Participants: Cases (n = 1 148) were defined as all subjects from the study base who sought healthcare for a new episode of low back and/or neck/shoulder pain by any of the care givers in the municipality. Controls (n = 1 700) were selected as a stratified random sample from the study base, considering sex and age. Study subjects were interviewed about life events and critical life changes. Critical life changes were defined as events that brought about a marked psychosocial change. Odds ratios (ORs) associated with different numbers of life events or critical life changes were calculated. Results: Having experienced at least two life events during the preceding 5 years was associated with an increased risk of neck/shoulder pain (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.4). At least two critical life changes were associated with an increased risk of neck/shoulder pain (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.7). In general, no associations were observed in relation to risk of low back pain. Conclusion: Life events and critical life changes are of importance for the risk of neck/shoulder pain of the kind that people are seeking care for. The study provides useful information for clinical practice and for future aetiological research on neck/shoulder pain.
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| 3. |
- Skillgate, Eva, et al.
(författare)
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Naprapathic manual therapy or evidence-based care for back and neck pain : a randomized, controlled trial
- 2007
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Ingår i: The Clinical Journal of Pain. - 0749-8047 .- 1536-5409. ; 23:5, s. 431-439
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To compare naprapathic manual therapy with evidence-based care for back or neck pain regarding pain, disability, and perceived recovery. Naprapathy that is common in the Nordic countries and in some states in the United States is characterized by manual manipulations with a focus on soft and connective tissues, aiming to decrease pain and disability in the musculoskeletal system. Methods: Four hundred and nine patients with pain and disability in the back or neck lasting for at least 2 weeks, recruited at 2 large public companies in Sweden in 2005, were included in this randomized controlled trial. The 2 interventions were naprapathy, including spinal manipulation/mobilization, massage, and stretching (Index Group) and support and advice to stay active and how to cope with pain, according to the best scientific evidence available, provided by a physician (Control Group). Pain, disability, and perceived recovery were measured by questionnaires at baseline and after 3, 7, and 12 weeks. Results: At 7-week and 12-week follow-ups, statistically significant differences between the groups were found in all outcomes favoring the Index Group. At 12-week follow-up, a higher proportion in the naprapathy group had improved regarding pain [risk difference (RD) = 27%, 95% confidence interval (Cl): 17-37], disability (RD = 18%, 95% Cl: 7-28), and perceived recovery (RD = 44%, 95% Cl: 35-53). Separate analysis of neck pain and back pain patients showed similar results. Discussion: This trial suggests that combined manual therapy, like naprapathy, might be an alternative to consider for back and neck pain patients.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Alipour, Akbar, et al.
(författare)
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Four-year incidence of sick leave because of neck and shoulder pain and its association with work and lifestyle
- 2009
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Ingår i: Spine. - 0362-2436 .- 1528-1159. ; 34:4, s. 413-418
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- STUDY DESIGN: Four-year prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To find the incidence of sick leave because of neck and shoulder pain (NSP) in industrial workers, and its association with work and lifestyle risk factors. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Longitudinal studies to investigate NSP incidence and risk factors are rare, and even fewer have been conducted in middle- and low-income countries. METHODS: After inviting all full-time employees of an Iranian car manufacturing company with 18,031 employees to participate in a baseline study, they were followed for 4 years. New episodes of sick leave because of NSP have been calculated based on sickness absence registration between the years 2003 and 2007. The incidence was compared for participants and nonparticipants. The association between sick leave, physical, and psychosocial risk factors at work, and previous self-reported NSP, was calculated for the remaining population of baseline participants (12,184 employees) during a 4-year follow-up. RESULTS: During a 4-year follow-up of study subjects for the remaining participants of the baseline study, the incidence of sick leave was 0.8% (98 sick leave cases in 12,184 employees). For nonparticipants this incidence was 4.2% (130 cases in 3127 employees). In the final regression model for sick leave cases, the remaining factors for potential physical risk factors were repetitive work and sitting positions at work; for psychosocial factors unattractive work was the only significant remaining factor. CONCLUSION: The incidence of NSP based on sick leave is definitely very low compared with previous studies in high-income countries. This incidence varies between participants and nonparticipants. Risk factors for sick leave differ from risk factors for self-reported pain. A young population, job security, the insurance system, different health behaviors, and healthy worker bias, are all factors that may affect the results, and sick-leave as an outcome must be interpreted with more caution in middle- and low-income countries.
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| 6. |
- Alipour, Akbar, et al.
(författare)
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Occupational neck and shoulder pain among automobile manufacturing workers in Iran
- 2008
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Ingår i: American Journal of Industrial Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0271-3586 .- 1097-0274. ; 51:5, s. 372-379
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper extremities are a major problem globally, though most relevant studies have been reported from high income countries. Aims and Methods The prevalence of neck and shoulder pain and its association with work-related physical and psychosocial factors and life style was determined by a cross-sectional survey using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) in the largest Iranian car manufacturing company, with more than 18,000 employees. Results A total of 14,384 (79.8%) of all employees completed the questionnaire. Depending on the questions used to measure neck and shoulder symptoms, the prevalence varied widely (from 20.5% to 3.9%). In the multiple logistic regression model, limited to employees with at least I year of work experience, risk indicators for disabling pain of the neck and/or shoulder that remained for male were: duration of employment, high visual demands, repetitive work, sitting position at work, awkward working position, no regular exercise, monotonous work, lack of encouraging organizational culture, and anxiety concerning change. For female repetitive work, sitting position at work and no support if there is trouble at work were the only remaining factors. Conclusions The study confirms the effects of physical and psychosocial factors on neck and shoulder symptoms among automobile manufacturing workers in a low to middle income country in spite of the relative youth and job insecurity of the population.
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| 7. |
- Alipour, Akbar, et al.
(författare)
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Reliability and validity study of Persian modified version of MUSIC (musculoskeletal intervention center) - Norrtalje questionnaire
- 2007
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Ingår i: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2474. ; 8, s. 88-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major health problem in the world. Self-reported questionnaires are a known method for estimating the prevalence of MSDs among the population. One of the studies concerning MSDs and their relation to work-related physical and psychosocial factors, as well as non-work-related factors, is the MUSIC-Norrtalje study in Sweden. In this study, the research group developed a questionnaire, which has been validated during its development process and is now considered a well-known instrument. The aim of this study is to validate the Persian version of this questionnaire. Methods The first step was to establish two expert panel groups in Iran and Sweden. The Focus Group Discussion (FGD) method was used to detect questionnaire face and content validity. To detect questionnaire reliability, we used the test-retest method. Results Except for two items, all other questions that respondents had problems with in the focus group (20 of 297), had unclear translations; the ambiguity was related to the stem of the questions and the predicted answers were clear for the participants. The concepts of 'household/spare time' and 'physical activity in the workplace' were not understood by the participants of FGD; this has been solved by adding further descriptions to these phrases in the translation. In the test-retest study, the reliability coefficient was relatively high in most items (only 5 items out of 297 had an ICC or kappa below 0.7). Conclusion The findings from the present study provide evidence that the Persian version of the MUSIC questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument.
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| 8. |
- Amnå, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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En halv miljard av statens pengar riskerar att slösas bort
- 2007
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Ingår i: Göteborgs-Posten. ; 2007-09-13, s. 47-47
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Minskade anslag gör att den årliga undersökningen om våra levnadsförhållanden hotas att halveras. Det kan drabba redan svaga grupper som äldre, invandrare och ensamstående föräldrar.
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| 9. |
- Dahlberg, Raymond, et al.
(författare)
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Educational background : different processes and consequences on health and physical and mental exposures among women and men
- 2007
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Ingår i: Work. - 1051-9815 .- 1875-9270. ; 28:1, s. 57-66
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To compare health and exposures at work and at home of women and men with the same educational background. Methods: The study group consisted of 3831 individuals, grouped into three educational categories based on length of education. Category 1, which represents 9-year compulsory school; Category 2, which includes 3-year upper secondary school, i.e. in total 12 years of education; and Category 3, which includes post-secondary school, such as university. They responded to a questionnaire that included questions on health and exposures at work and at home. Results: Significant differences were shown in health outcomes between women and men with the same educational background and also in exposures in their professional and private lives. Associations between educational background and health were found and analyses revealed that men with a university education run the lowest risk of developing ill health. Conclusion: Women with the same educational background as men are differently exposed, both in paid and unpaid work, due to the segregated labour market and the unequal distribution of domestic duties. Men in all educational categories studied had better health compared to women with the same educational background.
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| 10. |
- Falkenberg, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Predicting Sickness Absence-Are Extended Health Check-ups of Any Value? : Comparisons of Three Individual Risk Models
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - 1076-2752 .- 1536-5948. ; 51:1, s. 104-111
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To predict sickness absence by three health check-up models. METHODS: A study group of 821 participants from the public sector in Sweden where three health check-up models were compared 1) the limited variable model including smoking, body mass index, blood pressure, and cholesterol, 2) the several variable model including smoking, waist-hip ratio, blood pressure, relation between low density lipoproteins and high density lipoproteins, serum triglycerides, and fitness test, and 3) Self-rated health measured by one single question. Sickness absence data during 1 year was delivered from the employer. RESULTS: The three models served their purpose to predict sickness absence. CONCLUSIONS: The self-rated health-model with one single question has as good quality in predestination as more complicated models. This may have an implication for cost-effective procedures in occupational health services.
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