Work Outcomes in Patients Who Stay at Work Despite Musculoskeletal Pain

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Psychosocial Factors

Background:

• Musculoskeletal pain is a common issue affecting working populations.
• Many individuals continue working despite pain, leading to potential work impairment.
• Understanding psychosocial factors is crucial for managing work-related issues in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate self-reported work impacts in individuals with musculoskeletal pain who are actively working.
• To investigate the association between psychosocial risk factors and work impairment.
• To identify factors influencing work ability and performance in this cohort.

Main Methods:

• 155 working participants with musculoskeletal pain were recruited from hospital clinics.
• Questionnaires assessed work impairment (Work Productivity and Activity Impairment), work ability (Work Ability Index), and work performance (Work Role Functioning Questionnaire; WRFQ).
• Logistic and hierarchical regressions analyzed relationships between psychosocial variables and work outcomes.

Main Results:

• A significant portion of participants reported poor work ability (52.3%) and functioning (62.6% via WRFQ), despite low absenteeism.
• Higher work role functioning correlated with greater pain self-efficacy (OR 1.51).
• Greater presenteeism was linked to higher pain intensity (β=0.259) and lower pain self-efficacy (β=-0.385).

Conclusions:

• Continued work with musculoskeletal pain can negatively impact performance and ability.
• Targeting modifiable factors, particularly pain self-efficacy, is a promising strategy to mitigate work impairment.
• Interventions should consider psychosocial elements to support workers with musculoskeletal pain.