Multi-site musculoskeletal pain in Swedish police: associations with discomfort from wearing mandatory equipment and prolonged sitting

Abstract

PurposeMusculoskeletal disorders are considered as a major issue affecting the health and well-being of active duty police. Discomfort from wearing mandatory equipment and sitting for long periods of time in fleet vehicles are workload factors linked to musculoskeletal disorders in police. This study aims to determine the prevalence of multi-site musculoskeletal pain among Swedish police and to explore the possible association to discomfort experience when wearing mandatory equipment and sitting for long periods in fleet vehicles.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study responses from 4185 police were collected through a self-administered online survey including questions about physical work environment, mandatory equipment and musculoskeletal pain. Multi-site pain was determined through summing pain sites from four body regions. Binomial logistic regression was performed to explore the association between multi-site musculoskeletal pain: (1) discomfort from wearing mandatory equipment and (2) sitting for long periods in fleet vehicles.ResultsThe prevalence of multi-site musculoskeletal pain at least 1 day per week within the previous 3 months was 41.3%. A statistically significant association between discomfort from wearing mandatory equipment and multi-site musculoskeletal pain was found; duty belt [OR 5.42 (95% CI 4.56–6.43)] as well as body armour [OR 2.69 (95% CI 2.11–3.42)]. Sitting for long periods in fleet vehicles was not significantly associated to multi-site musculoskeletal pain.ConclusionMulti-site musculoskeletal pain is a considerable problem among Swedish police and modifying mandatory equipment to decrease discomfort is suggested as a potential means of decreasing the musculoskeletal pain experienced by many police officers.

Psychosocial job demand and control: multi-site musculoskeletal pain in Swedish police

“…The police are an occupational group known to have a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, with lower back pain most frequently reported [14, 15]. In a recent Swedish study, lower back pain was reported by 43% of police as compared to 32% of the general working population.…”

“…In a recent Swedish study, lower back pain was reported by 43% of police as compared to 32% of the general working population. In addition, multi-site musculoskeletal pain was more frequently reported than single-site pain and found to be strongly associated with discomfort experienced from the use of mandatory equipment (duty belt and body armour) [15].…”

Low back pain related to anxiety and depression in police officers at a police station in Lima

“…Con respecto al dolor lumbar el 75,5% de policías presentan dolor lumbar. Esto concuerda con diversos reportes previos: Cardoso E (14) , Brown JJ (15) , Gruevski KM (16) . Este problema es frecuente y grave en el personal policial (17) .…”

Influence of Wearing Ballistic Vests on Physical Performance of Danish Police Officers: A Cross-Over Study

“…The vest is bulky, stiff and secured tightly to the trunk with a system of Velcro-straps, and as such could plausibly impact the biomechanics of the upper body negatively. In addition, the added weight has been reported to result in limited mobility and can cause significant discomfort [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. The mass of the ballistic vest worn by the Danish police officers ranges 3.5–8.5 kg depending on the units the officers are assigned to.…”