A longitudinal study of risk factors for non-specific neck pain in office workers

Abstract

Neck pain at work is associated with reduced productivity, work absenteeism, and often requires treatment resulting in substantial costs to society. Working with a computer has been linked to the development of neck pain. Computer work is a constant factor in the office work environment, and within industry, office workers show the highest incidence of neck pain among all occupations. Therefore prevention of neck pain for office workers has become a priority. While there is an emerging body of literature investigating risk factors for the development of neck pain in office workers it is evident that major gaps still exist. For example, a current model exploring the aetiology of neck pain in workers (Bone and Joint Decade Task Force Model) has not sufficiently explained physical risk factors (workplace and worker), not explored the role of coping on the interaction between workplace psychosocial factors and psychological distress, and has not considered the impact of cultural diversity. The aim of this thesis is to address these deficits.In Study 1 physical risk factors for the development of neck pain in office workers were evaluated through a systematic review with meta-analysis. The review highlighted the poor standardization and quantification of working postural behavior that was mostly limited to subjective or momentary observational assessments.In Study 4 a direct quantitative measure of postural behaviour (percent of time spent in neutral upper body posture) with during office work using wireless sensors was developed with known measurement properties (good to excellent reliability) which could be included in the longitudinal study.A longitudinal study of 220 office workers (160 from Brisbane, Australia and 60 from Daegu, South Korea) without neck pain was recruited from industry. These office workers completed baseline self-report questionnaires measuring psychosocial factors, psychological distress, and coping resources. Follow-up measurements were taken over a 12 month period to evaluate the incidence of neck pain. Physical factors (postural behaviour during office work, neck range of motion, and upper body physical performance) were also evaluated at baseline. 3In Studies 5 and 6, measurements recorded at baseline were analyzed to clarify the physical and psychosocial characteristics of the office worker sample. Study 5 showed that the relationship between job strain and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms) was moderated by coping strategies. In particular a greater dependence on escape coping strategies enhanced the effect of job strain on depression symptoms, which was in turn reduced when accompanied by higher levels of social support.Study 6 showed that postural behaviour of office workers was governed by multiple factors including both workplace and individual factors. In particular, ergonomic factors (e.g., higher desk height, greater distance on desk top between keyboard and the edge of desk), individual physical factors (e.g., less neck flexor strength/endu...