Background: This study explored the relationship between individual characteristics, physical and psychosocial work-related risk factors and the musculoskeletal pain among non-specialized personnel working in different kinds of social care.
Methods: The study population consists of 342 employees of a cooperative for in-house, outpatient and scholar social care. The study was conducted using a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected by means of questionnaires, including questions about having or having had musculoskeletal symptoms (12 months prevalence), the perception of social support from co-workers and superiors, the perception of job strain according to the Karasek's demand/control model, and anxiety and depression according to the Goldberg's 9-items scales.
Results: In all groups prevalence rates of musculoskeletal complaints were high. A forward stepwise binary logistic regression analysis showed that symptoms from the low back were significantly related to psychological demands, and depression score; symptoms from the upper back were related to age, anxiety and depression; symptoms from the neck were related to psychological demands, authority over decisions, gender and anxiety.
Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that both low and upper back complaints and neck complaints are major health problems in social care workers. Musculoskeletal disorders seemed to be related both to job strain and to individual and emotional factors. The professional groups under study all are target for preventive interventions; these interventions need to be specified for each of the professional groups, and to include educational, organizational, and ergonomic measures.