The validity of reported musculoskeletal problems. A study of questionnaire answers in relation to diagnosed disorders and perception of pain

doi:10.1016/S0003-6870(98)00033-7

Applied Ergonomics

Volume 30, Issue 4, August 1999, Pages 325-330

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-6870(98)00033-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the validity of answers given in a questionnaire on musculoskeletal pain and conditions by means of a clinical assessment, and to get some understanding of the subject’s perception of reported pain. This was performed by using measures of sensitivity and specificity comparing data from the questionnaire with the clinical diagnoses of conditions in the neck, shoulders and thoracic spine. Subjective perception of pain was obtained by the use of visual analogue scale (VAS) and pain drawings. For the combination of neck and shoulders, both sensitivity (95%) and specificity (88%) were high for current pain. The results of the study confirm the validity of the subjective reports of the respondents. A ‘pain assessment instrument’ including a questionnaire, VAS and pain drawings may be useful to reveal conditions in the neck and shoulders and thoracic spine, common sites of work related musculoskeletal disorders.

References (0)

Cited by (55)

Work with prolonged arm elevation as a risk factor for shoulder pain: A longitudinal study among young adults
2015, Applied Ergonomics
Citation Excerpt :
It has however been found that the number of separate symptom areas in pain drawings was associated with the symptoms chronicity and severity in the neck and shoulder region (Toomingas, 1999). Self-reported pain drawings have also been found to have high sensitivity and specificity comparing it with clinical assessment of neck and shoulder diagnoses (Björkstén et al., 1999). The number of studies with longitudinal design and repeated measurements of health effects are increasing (Mayer et al., 2012).
This prospective study aimed at examining if work with prolonged arm elevation predicts shoulder pain among 41 young adults in their first years of working life. Fifteen hairdressers, 15 electricians, 5 students and 6 with various work were followed over a 2.5-year period (2006/7–2009). Arm elevation was measured with inclinometers during a full working day at baseline. Shoulder pain was reported at baseline and twice in the follow-up period. Data were analyzed by generalized estimating equations (GEE-analysis), stratified by gender and adjusted for time, mechanical workload, work demand, physical activity, tobacco use and prior shoulder pain. Work with prolonged arm elevation with angles >60° and >90° were associated with shoulder pain among women. Even though the shoulder pain levels are low the study suggests work with arms elevated as an early work-related risk factor among women, and indicates the importance of early prevention strategies.
Risk factors for the onset of nonspecific low back pain in office workers: A systematic review of prospective cohort studies
2012, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
Citation Excerpt :
All studies collected data only twice: at the beginning and the end of study. A longer recall period regarding the incidence of LBP during follow-up period may increase recall bias.37 This bias may be pronounced in studies in which detailed information, such as the duration of experiencing pain and/or pain intensity, was required.
The purpose of this study was to systematically review prospective cohort studies to identify risk factors for the onset of low back pain (LBP) in office workers.
Online searches were conducted on PubMed, CINAHL Plus with full text, ScienceDirect, PEDro, ProQuest, and Scopus databases from 1980 to November 2011 using the following keywords: low back pain paired with risk or prognostic factors and office or computer or visual display unit (VDU) or visual display terminal (VDT). The methodological quality of each study was assessed using a 21-item checklist, which was divided into 2 parts: the internal validity (11 items) and descriptive quality (10 items) of studies. Strength of evidence for risk factors associated with the development of nonspecific LBP was assessed by defining 5 levels of evidence based on the number of studies and the quality score of studies.
Eighteen full-text articles were identified, and 15 were excluded. A total of 3 articles were judged to meet the selection criteria and were included in the methodological quality assessment. Risk factors were divided into 3 groups: individual, work-related physical, and work-related psychosocial risk factors. There was strong evidence that history of LBP is a predictor of the onset of LBP. Limited evidence was found that the combination of postural risk factors and job strain is associated with the onset of LBP.
After review of 3 high-quality prospective studies on the association between risk factors and the onset of nonspecific LBP in office workers, few risk factors were found to predict the onset of LBP in office workers.
Prevalence and risk factors associated with musculoskeletal discomfort in New Zealand veterinarians
2010, Applied Ergonomics
Citation Excerpt :
According to Baron et al. (1996), the use of a severity scale increases the reliability of a survey. It is noteworthy that results from self-reported musculoskeletal questionnaires are highly correlated with physical musculoskeletal trouble (such as discomfort, aches, pains and disorders) and clinical diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders (Baron et al., 1996; Bjorksten et al., 1999; Dane et al., 2002; Punnett and Wegman, 2004). The participants were asked to estimate time spent on work activities, record satisfaction on workplace as well as estimate the annual number of veterinary procedures undertaken annually.
A cross-sectional study using a modified Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire asked 867 New Zealand veterinarians about the presence or absence of musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD). Participants were asked if MSD affected their normal activities and if it required any period(s) of absence from work. Additional questions enquired about work activities, psychosocial factors and workload. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to quantify the association between identified risk factors and the presence of MSD requiring absence from work in the previous 12 months, controlling for the presence of known confounders. The overall period prevalence of MSD was 96%, 67% had normal activities being affected and 18% of participants reported that they had been absent from work due to MSD. The lower back was the body site most commonly reported for MSD (73%). Factors increasing the odds of MSD requiring time off work for clinical veterinarians were 10 year increases in age (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.05–1.52), work involving awkward grip and hand movements 100% of time (OR 12.91, 95% CI 3.46–4.21) and those who were dissatisfied with the level and difficulty of their work (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.11–6.56). These findings have implications for health, lifestyle and retention rates for veterinarians.
Psychosocial, mechanical, and metabolic factors in adolescents' musculoskeletal pain in multiple locations: A cross-sectional study
2010, European Journal of Pain
Citation Excerpt :
Our study, as other similar epidemiological studies, relied on self-reporting for lack of more objective methods for measuring pain as well as all the exposure variables (excluding BMI), thus social desirability bias may exist in the responses. An agreement has been found between self-reported LBP and face-to-face interview (Staes et al., 2000) as well as clinical assessment (Björkstén et al., 1999). Moreover, the validation of self-reported LBP has been tested against lumbar degenerative magnetic resonance imaging findings and recurrent LBP symptoms among young adults (Salminen et al., 1999).
Recent studies indicate that adolescents often experience musculoskeletal pains in two or more body locations. However, previous studies have mainly focused on localized pains, and the determinants of multiple musculoskeletal pains in adolescents are not well known. The present study was set to evaluate the role of psychosocial, mechanical, and metabolic factors in adolescents’ musculoskeletal pains in multiple locations. The study population consisted of the 1986 Northern Finland Birth Cohort; 15- to 16-year-old adolescents (n = 6986), who responded to a mailed questionnaire in 2001. We assessed the associations of emotional and behavioral problems, physical activity, sitting time, sleeping time, overweight and smoking with musculoskeletal pains using multinomial logistic regression. Multiple pains were common, 23% of boys and 40% of girls reported feeling pain in at least three locations over the past 6 months. These pains were not only associated with anxious/depressed symptoms, withdrawn/depressed symptoms, somatic complaints, rule-breaking and aggressive behavior, social problems, thought and attention problems, but also with high physical activity level, long sitting time, short sleeping time and smoking, among both boys and girls. In addition, pain in three to four locations associated with overweight in girls. A high number of psychosocial, mechanical and metabolic factors associated strongly with multiple pains. In conclusion, multiple musculoskeletal pains were strongly associated with psychosocial complaints, but also with mechanical and metabolic factors. Reported musculoskeletal pains in multiple locations in adolescence may have both peripheral (trauma, decreased regenerative ability) and central (sensitivity) causes.
Impact of Self-Reported Musculoskeletal Pain on Health-Related Quality of Life among Young Adults
2011, Pain Medicine
Citation Excerpt :
Epidemiological studies on musculoskeletal pain have mainly relied on self-reporting, which is the current “gold standard” for assessing pain conditions. Björkstén et al. concluded that the use of a questionnaire is a valid way of obtaining information regarding musculoskeletal pain [1], and this finding has been supported by others [2,3]. However, the validation of questionnaires is often insufficiently documented, and the clinical relevance of subjective reports of musculoskeletal pain may be questionable.
To investigate how self-reported musculoskeletal pain and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are associated among young adults.
The study population consisted of a subgroup of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 at the age of 19 (N = 874), who completed the 15-dimensional (15D) HRQoL questionnaire (score 0 to 1) and answered questions about six-month period prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in neck, shoulder, low back, and peripheral location.
Half of the males and one third of the females reported a 15D score of at least 0.98 and were selected as the reference group in the multinomial logistic regression analysis. Young adults who reported multiple pains had significantly lower 15D scores than those reporting pain in only one location or no pain at all. After adjustments for other health problems, psychosocial distress, parental occupation, and the young adults' own employment status, the reporting of single musculoskeletal pain odds ratio (OR) 2.6 and multiple pains (ORs up to 11.9) among females, and multiple pains (ORs up to 4.6) among males were associated with a 15D score of 0.94 or less.
The number of involved sites of self-reported musculoskeletal pain was associated with the level of reduction in HRQoL among young adults.
Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Dentists in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study
2022, Medicina (Lithuania)

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text