Musculoskeletal symptoms, psychosocial factors and work ability in Brazilian labor justice workers

The implementation of the electronic judicial process (PJe) in recent years is associated with an increase in workload and stricter control through productivity targets in the Brazilian labor judiciary.

To evaluate the relations between musculoskeletal symptoms, psychosocial factors and work ability in civil servants of a labor justice body in the context of the PJe.

A cross-sectional exploratory study with a quantitative approach involving 449 workers. Sociodemographic, occupational and related data were collected through questionnaires validated in the Brazilian context. Data analysis was conducted by descriptive and inferential statistics: Mann-Whitney test, Spearman's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression.

There was a correlation between musculoskeletal symptoms and psychosocial factors (p < 0.05), as well as between both musculoskeletal symptoms and psychosocial factors with reduced work ability (p < 0.05). The multiple linear regression model pointed to the female gender and the dimensions "demands", "control" and "peer support" as related to the musculoskeletal symptoms.

We highlight the importance of a broader approach, involving psychosocial factors in preventive actions related to musculoskeletal disorders considering the important relationship with work ability.