Work-related and non-work-related musculoskeletal symptoms

The purpose of the study was to analyse the prevalence of self-reported work-related and non-work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among white- and blue-collar workers. The study was carried out at eight metal industry companies and included 450 subjects, where 241 were blue-collar workers and 209 were white-collar workers. Among the blue-collar workers 39% were females and among the white-collar workers 35% were females. The study was based on a questionnaire, using the general standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). The NMQ was completed with a question concerning whether or not the symptoms were believed to be related to the individual's present work. It was found that the differences between white- and blue-collar workers' musculoskeletal symptoms became greater when solely work-related symptoms were included, compared with symptoms in general according to the NMQ. Furthermore, it was found in both groups that the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms decreased substantially when solely work-related symptoms were included, compared with symptoms in general.