Occupational biopsychosocial factors associated with neck pain intensity, neck-disability, and sick leave: A cross-sectional study of construction labourers in an African population

PLoS One. 2024 Apr 3;19(4):e0295352. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295352. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Introduction: The burden and impact of neck pain is high in African countries including Nigeria. This study investigated the occupational biomechanical and occupational psychosocial factors associated with neck pain intensity, neck disability and sick leave amongst construction labourers in an urban Nigerian population.

Methods: This cross-sectional study measured clinical neck pain outcomes, occupational biomechanical factors, and occupational psychosocial factors. Descriptive, and univariate/multivariate inferential statistical analyses were conducted.

Results: Significant independent factors associated with neck pain intensity were order and pace of tasks being dependent on others (β = 0.35; p<0.0001); inability to take breaks in addition to scheduled breaks (β = 0.25; p<0.0001); inability to work because of unexpected events (β = 0.21; p<0.0001); inability to control the order and pace of tasks (β = 0.20; p<0.0001); and weight of load (β = 0.17; p<0.0001); accounting for 53% of the variance in neck pain intensity. Significant independent factors associated with neck disability were weight of load (β = 0.30; p<0.0001); duration of load carriage (β = 0.16; p = 0.01); working under time pressure/deadlines (β = 0.16; p = 0.02); and accounting for 20% of the variance in neck disability. Significant independent factor associated with sick leave was duration of load carriage (β = 0.15; p = 0.04), in a non-significant regression model explaining -4% of the variance in sick leave. Addition of pain intensity significantly explained more variance in neck disability (31.0%) but less variance in sick leave (-5%), which was not statistically significant (F (10, 190) = 0.902, p = 0.533).

Conclusions: Occupational biomechanical factors may be more important than occupational psychosocial factors in explaining neck disability and sick leave. In contrast, occupational psychosocial factors may be more important than occupational biomechanical factors in explaining neck pain intensity in this population in Nigeria.

MeSH terms

  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Humans
  • Neck Pain* / epidemiology
  • Nigeria / epidemiology
  • Pain Measurement
  • Sick Leave*

Grants and funding

The lead author was partly supported with personal grant from the 2020 Nature Research Award for Driving Global Impact. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.