Relationships between psychosocial factors and work-related musculoskeletal disorders in coal miners

Objective: To estimate the associations of psychosocial factors with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), providing scientific evidence for targeted strategies for the prevention of WMSDs in Chinese coal miners.

Methods: A total of 500 coal miners were consecutively enrolled to this cross-sectional study. The prevalence of WMSDs was assessed using the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the associations between psychosocial factors and WMSDs.

Results: Among coal miners, of 277 coal miners, 61% self-reported WMSDs in a 12-month period. Especially, back pain was the most frequent musculoskeletal symptom. WMSDs were statistically correlated with high job demands (OR = 1.3, 95%CI: 1.3 ∼ 3.5), low job control (OR = 1.6, 95%CI: 1.0 ∼ 2.4), low level of interpersonal relations (OR = 1.9, 95%CI: 1.2 ∼ 3.0) and low job satisfaction (OR = 1.6, 95%CI: 1.0 ∼ 2.4).

Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate psychosocial factors were associated with WMSDs among coal miners, and psychosocial factors be considered for the prevention of WMSDs.