Gender differences in self-reported physical and psychosocial exposures in jobs with both female and male workers

The aim was to determine whether men and women with the same job are equally exposed to work-related physical and psychosocial risk factors for musculoskeletal complaints.

Men (n = 491) and women (n = 342) in 8 jobs with both female and male workers completed a questionnaire on exposure to work-related risk factors. Gender, job title, and potential confounders were included in the final statistical models. Separate analyses were performed for desk workers and assembly workers.

For most risk factors gender differences in exposure were found. Among desk workers exposures were most often higher for women, which was the opposite for assembly workers.

Although exposure assessment relied on self-report, it seems unlikely that gender differences in reporting behavior completely explained gender differences in exposure. Thus, gender differences in exposure are present within the same job.