Upper body and lower limbs musculoskeletal symptoms and health inequalities in Europe: an analysis of cross-sectional data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Musculoskeletal disorders are the most frequent occupational diseases in Europe. However, their multifactorial aetiology poses several challenges concerning not only the estimation of relative prevalence rates across occupational groups but also how the co-occurrence of known risk factors might differ between disorders of the upper and lower limbs. Against this background, the following objectives are pursued: (1) to estimate the relative odds and prevalence rates of self-reported disorders of the upper limbs and/or shoulders and neck (upper body) and the lower limbs for major ISCO-88 occupational groups, (2) to evaluate to what extent the associations between known risk factors differ for musculoskeletal disorders of the upper body and the lower limbs.

Methods

St

SUBMITTER: Montano D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4153890 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature