Zerbo Šporin Dorjana, Kozinc Žiga, Prijon Ticijana, Metličar Tanja, Šarabon Nejc
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia.
University of Primorska, Andrej Marušič Institute, Koper, Slovenia.
Front Public Health. 2025 Jan 6;12:1478204. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1478204. eCollection 2024.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the main causes of health-related absenteeism. MSDs were a known problem among healthcare workers (HCWs) even before COVID-19. The pandemic, with its associated stresses and changes in working conditions, may have influenced the incidence and duration of MSDs-related sick leave (SL) among HCWs. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence and duration of MSDs-related SL among HCWs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on differences between age and gender groups.
A retrospective analysis was conducted using Slovenian national SL data on work-related MSDs within NACE Rev. 2 "Human health activities" for 2019, 2020, and 2021, categorized by gender and age.
The study found that older HCWs, particularly women, consistently had a higher incidence of work-related MSDs SL than their younger counterparts. However, during the pandemic, MSDs were more common among younger men, while the average duration of SL was longer among younger women. On the other hand, in older HCWs, the average SL incidence decreased during the pandemic, while the SL duration substantially increased.
The dynamics of MSDs related SL among HCWs are complex and influenced by several factors, including the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare managers should implement tailored strategies to address MSDs-related absenteeism among specific groups of HCWs to promote a healthier workforce and ensure a resilient healthcare system during health crises.
肌肉骨骼疾病（MSD）是与健康相关的缺勤的主要原因之一。甚至在新冠疫情之前，MSD在医护人员（HCW）中就是一个已知问题。这场大流行及其相关压力和工作条件的变化，可能影响了医护人员中与MSD相关病假（SL）的发生率和持续时间。本研究的目的是比较新冠疫情之前和期间医护人员中与MSD相关SL的发生率和持续时间，重点关注年龄和性别组之间的差异。
利用斯洛文尼亚国家关于2019年、2020年和2021年在《欧盟行业分类标准第二修订版》“人类健康活动”范围内与工作相关的MSD的病假数据进行回顾性分析，按性别和年龄分类。
研究发现，年长的医护人员，尤其是女性，与工作相关的MSD病假发生率始终高于年轻的同行。然而，在疫情期间，MSD在年轻男性中更为常见，而年轻女性的平均病假持续时间更长。另一方面，在年长的医护人员中，疫情期间病假平均发生率下降，而病假持续时间大幅增加。
医护人员中与MSD相关病假的动态情况很复杂，受到多种因素影响，包括新冠疫情带来的挑战。医疗保健管理者应实施针对性策略，以解决特定医护人员群体中与MSD相关的缺勤问题，促进更健康的劳动力队伍，并在健康危机期间确保医疗系统的韧性。
