title: Differences in the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among female and male custodians.
abstract: The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among custodians is high. We sought to compare musculoskeletal symptoms between female and male custodians and to explore how task might affect this relationship.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study was performed among 712 custodians who completed a survey assessing upper extremity, back, and lower extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and exposure to cleaning tasks. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were used to test for associations between gender, cleaning tasks, and musculoskeletal symptoms.
  
  
  
  Gender was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with musculoskeletal symptoms in χ(2) tests and multivariate analyses. The prevalence ratio of symptoms among women was roughly 50% higher than men, regardless of the tasks that workers performed.
  
  
  
  The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms differed for female and male custodians and appeared to be consistent across a range of job tasks. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:841-852, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut. cavallari@uchc.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cavallari
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Manik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahuja
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Alicia G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Dugan
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn-Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Simcox
authors.affiliation: Center for Public Health and Health Policy, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wakai
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Garza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001415:Back; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006796:Household Work; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D034941:Upper Extremity; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cleaners; disparities; gender; housekeepers; physical exposures; sex; task