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Risk factors for sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders among self‐employed Dutch farmers: A case‐control study
Author(s) -
Hartman Esther,
Oude Vrielink Huub H.E.,
Huirne Ruud B.M.,
Metz Jos H.M.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.20276
Subject(s) - medicine , sick leave , occupational medicine , body mass index , demography , musculoskeletal disorder , physical therapy , epidemiology , environmental health , poison control , human factors and ergonomics , sociology
Background In Dutch agriculture, musculoskeletal disorders are a main cause of sick leave. Among self‐employed insured farmers, neck, shoulder, upper extremity, and back disorders accounted for 30% of the claims for sick leave of less than 1 year This case‐control study set out to identify and quantify risk factors for sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders among self‐employed Dutch farmers. Methods Sick leave, claimed at an insurance company from 1998 to 2001 for back (SL‐BP, n = 198) or neck/shoulder/upper extremity trouble (SL‐EXT, n = 89) was analyzed; the controls did not file any claim in this period (n = 816). Results Multivariate analysis showed that risk factors for SL‐BP were increased age (OR = 1.06 per year, CI = 1.04–1.09), body mass index (BMI) >27 (OR = 1.93, CI = 1.2–3.2), smoking (OR = 1.90, CI = 1.2–2.9), former pain (OR = 3.28, CI = 2.1–5.1), tractor driving >1,000 hr/year (OR = 2.44, CI = 1.0–6.4), and “high work pace and workload” (OR = 1.59, CI = 1.0–2.4). SL‐EXT was associated with pig (OR = 3.63, CI = 1.4–9.7), mushroom (OR = 6.14, CI = 1.4–27.2), or dairy/pig farming (OR = 4.56, 1.1–19.5), while age (OR = 1.10, CI = 1.06–1.14), smoking (OR = 1.79, CI = 1.0–3.2), and former pain (OR = 3.37, CI = 1.9–6.1) were also contributing. Conclusions Prevention of sick leave of self‐employed farmers should focus on life style (obesity, smoking), reducing older farmers' exposure to physical load, exposure to long‐term tractor driving. Specific attention should be paid to animal and mushroom farmers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 49:204–214, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.