Background: Previous research identified an association between work-family conflict and musculoskeletal pain. This study explores how the work-life interface might affect pain experienced by residential aged care staff.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 426 employees in residential aged care was analyzed to assess the impacts of workplace hazards, work-family conflict, and work-life balance on self-reported musculoskeletal pain.
Results: Work-family conflict acts as a mediator of the relationships between workplace hazards and the total number of body regions at which musculoskeletal pain was experienced. Work-life balance only acts as a mediator for particular hazards and only if work-family conflict is not taken into account.
Conclusions: Addressing work-life interaction, and in particular work-family conflict, warrants further investigation as a legitimate means through which musculoskeletal disorder risk can be reduced. Policies and practices to improve work-life interaction and reduce work-family conflict should be considered as integral components of musculoskeletal disorder risk management strategies.
Keywords: flexible working practices; health care workers; musculoskeletal disorders; organizational factors; work-family conflict; work-life balance.
© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.