Predictors of sickness absence related to musculoskeletal pain: a two-year follow-up study of workers in municipal kitchens

Objective We studied predictors of sickness absences (SA) due to musculoskeletal pain over two years among 386 municipal female kitchen workers. Methods Pain and SA periods (no/yes) due to pain in seven sites during the past three months were assessed at 3-month intervals over two years by questionnaire. Age, musculoskeletal pain, multisite pain (pain in ≥3 sites), musculoskeletal and other somatic diseases, depressive symptoms, physical and psychosocial workload, body mass index, smoking, and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) at baseline were considered as predictors. Trajectory analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used. Results Three trajectories of SA emerged, labelled as “none” (41% of the subjects), “intermediate” (48%), and “high” (11%). With the “none” trajectory (no SA) as reference, pain in all musculoskeletal sites excepting the low back predicted belonging to the “intermediate” [odds ratio (OR) 1.82–2.48] or “high” (OR 2.56–3.74) trajectory adjusted for age; multisite pain predicted membership of the “intermediate” [OR 2.15, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.38–3.34] or “high” (OR 4.66, 95% CI 2.10–10.3) trajectories. In a mutually adjusted final model, smoking (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.22–3.69), multisite pain (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.15–3.02), and overweight/obesity (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.08–2.72) predicted belonging to the “intermediate” trajectory, while depressive symptoms (OR 3.57, 95% CI 1.57–8.10), musculoskeletal diseases (OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.37–7.37), and multisite pain (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.15–6.40) were associated with the “high” trajectory. Conclusion Along with the number of pain sites and musculoskeletal diseases, attention to depressive symptoms, smoking, and overweight/obesity is needed to tackle SA related to musculoskeletal pain.