Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Riga Stradinš University, Riga, Latvia.
Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Riga Stradinš University, Riga, Latvia.
Front Public Health. 2022 Apr 29;10:844525. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.844525. eCollection 2022.
The problem of painful and disabling work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is increasing in many employment sectors of Latvia. Official statistics may underestimate the proportion of affected employees, causing delays in preventive interventions, ineffective rehabilitation, and a reduction of the workforce. This study investigated the prevalence of painful health conditions among Latvian workers by analyzing survey data and comparing these to official statistics on registered occupational diseases (ODs). A total of 2,446 workers participated in the state-level "Work conditions and risks in Latvia, 2017-2018" survey that included questions about pain lasting longer than 3 days during the previous year. The frequency of subjective reports on the presence, severity, and location of pain and related behaviors was assessed in relation to sex, age, education, and job position. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulation with the chi-squared test as well as multinomial logistic regression were applied to the data. Overall, 27.7% of respondents ( = 678) reported experiencing pain, predominantly in the lower back (14.3%) and mostly moderate (47.1%) or severe (45.1%). Only one-fifth of respondents (20.5%) took sick leave from work and one-third (29.0%) did not take action to alleviate their pain. Participants aged 55-74 years had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) for pain in at least one body region-including hands and legs-than those aged 18-24 years. Women had significantly higher odds of headache (OR = 2.55) and neck pain (OR = 1.85) than men. Respondents with a primary or elementary education level had higher odds of pain in at least one body region (OR = 1.60) and in the lower back (OR = 1.86), while those with secondary education had higher odds of pain in hands (OR = 1.51) than employees with higher education. Unskilled workers had significantly higher odds of pain in hands (OR = 2.42) and legs (OR = 2.12) than directors. Official data revealed a dramatic increase in the proportion of MSDs and related disabilities in the last decade, reaching 75.5% of all first registered ODs in 2019. These results demonstrate a high prevalence of painful conditions among Latvian employees; urgent attention to diagnostics, treatment, and prevention is needed to ensure the musculoskeletal health and productivity of this population.
在拉脱维亚的许多就业领域，与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病（MSD）导致疼痛和致残的问题日益严重。官方统计数据可能低估了受影响员工的比例，导致预防干预措施延迟、康复效果不佳以及劳动力减少。本研究通过分析调查数据并将其与登记职业病（OD）的官方统计数据进行比较，调查了拉脱维亚工人疼痛健康状况的流行情况。共有 2446 名工人参加了国家一级的“2017-2018 年拉脱维亚工作条件和风险”调查，该调查包括了前一年持续超过 3 天的疼痛问题。评估了性别、年龄、教育程度和职位与主观报告疼痛的存在、严重程度和位置以及相关行为的频率。应用描述性统计和卡方检验交叉表以及多项逻辑回归对数据进行分析。总体而言，27.7%的受访者（=678）报告有疼痛，主要是下背部（14.3%），大多数为中度（47.1%）或重度（45.1%）。只有五分之一的受访者（20.5%）请病假，三分之一（29.0%）没有采取行动缓解疼痛。55-74 岁的参与者在至少一个身体部位（包括手和腿）疼痛的可能性明显高于 18-24 岁的参与者。女性患头痛（OR=2.55）和颈部疼痛（OR=1.85）的可能性明显高于男性。具有小学或初等教育水平的受访者在至少一个身体部位（OR=1.60）和下背部（OR=1.86）疼痛的可能性更高，而具有中等教育水平的受访者在手部（OR=1.51）疼痛的可能性更高比具有高等教育的员工。非熟练工人在手部（OR=2.42）和腿部（OR=2.12）疼痛的可能性明显高于主管。官方数据显示，在过去十年中，MSD 及其相关残疾的比例急剧增加，到 2019 年，所有首次登记的 OD 中，MSD 及其相关残疾达到 75.5%。这些结果表明，拉脱维亚员工中疼痛状况的患病率很高；需要紧急关注诊断、治疗和预防，以确保该人群的肌肉骨骼健康和生产力。
