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- Title
When Unnecessary Tasks Weigh Heavily on the Back: A Diary Study on Musculoskeletal Pain.
- Authors
Faes, Yannik; Elfering, Achim
- Abstract
Background: Auxiliary tasks such as administrative work often include tasks that are unnecessary in the view of workers but still have to be done. These tasks can threaten a worker's self-esteem. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of unnecessary and unreasonable tasks on musculoskeletal pain. Methods: Fifty-five office workers (29 male; mean age = 41.96, SD = 14.2 years) reported their unnecessary and unreasonable tasks at the beginning of the study and kept a diary of their daily musculoskeletal pain over 5 weeks, using a visual analogue scale. Other work-related risk factors (prolonged sitting), job resources (participation in decision-making), and individual risk factors (sex, smoking, exercise, body mass index, maladaptive back beliefs) were controlled for in multilevel regression analysis. Findings: Multilevel regression analysis with 742 reports showed unnecessary tasks (B = 4.27, p =.006)—but not unreasonable tasks (B = 3.05, p =.074)—to predict the daily intensity of musculoskeletal pain, beyond other significant risk factors, such as prolonged sitting (B = 2.06, p =.039), body mass index (B = 1.52, p <.001), and maladaptive back beliefs (B = 3.78, p =.003). Participation in decision-making was not a significant protective factor (B = −1.67, p =.176). Conclusions/Application to Practice: The higher frequency of unnecessary tasks—compared with unreasonable tasks—could place workers at risk for musculoskeletal pain. Work redesign that reduces unnecessary and unreasonable tasks can make a valuable contribution to worker health and safety among office workers.
- Subjects
SWITZERLAND; RISK of backache; MUSCULOSKELETAL system diseases; WORK environment; SEDENTARY lifestyles; SELF-perception; MULTIPLE regression analysis; TASK performance; VISUAL analog scale; DIARY (Literary form); SITTING position; SEX distribution; DECISION making; EXERCISE; HEALTH attitudes; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; QUESTIONNAIRES; INDUSTRIAL hygiene; SMOKING; BODY mass index; SECONDARY analysis; DISEASE risk factors
- Publication
Workplace Health & Safety, 2021, Vol 69, Issue 9, p410
- ISSN
2165-0799
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1177/2165079921994830