title: Negative psychosocial and heavy physical workloads associated with musculoskeletal pain interfering with normal life in older adults: cross-sectional analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pain is one of the most frequent reasons for seeking health care, and is thus a public health problem. Although there is a progressive increase in pain and impaired physical function with age, few studies are performed on older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate if there are associations between musculoskeletal pain interfering with normal life in older adults and physical and psychosocial workloads through life.
  
  
  METHODS
  The association of heavy physical workload and negative psychosocial workload and musculoskeletal pain interfering with normal life (SF 12) was analyzed by multiple logistic regression. The model was adjusted for eight background covariates: age, gender, growing-up environment, educational level, if living alone or not, obesity, smoking, and leisure physical activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Negative psychosocial and heavy physical workloads were independently associated with musculoskeletal pain interfering with normal life (adjusted OR: 4.44, 95% CI: 2.84-6.92), and (adjusted OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.20-2.93), respectively. The background covariates female gender and higher education were also associated with musculoskeletal pain interfering with normal life, and physical leisure activity was inversely associated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that negative psychosocial and heavy physical workloads are strongly associated with musculoskeletal pain interfering with normal life in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Blekinge Institute of Technology, Gräsvik, Karlskrona, Sweden titti.lilje@bth.se.
authors.forename: Stina C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lilje
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden Scandinavian College of Naprapathic Manual Therapy, Kräftriket, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skillgate
authors.affiliation: Blekinge Institute of Technology, Gräsvik, Karlskrona, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anderberg
authors.affiliation: Blekinge Institute of Technology, Gräsvik, Karlskrona, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berglund
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Work-related disorders; aging; heavy physical workload; musculoskeletal pain; pain and disability evaluation