Work-related psychosocial factors and chronic pain: a prospective cohort study in Canadian workers.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether organizational and psychosocial aspects of work experience affect the risk of chronic pain conditions. We used longitudinal data from the National Population Health Survey in Canada (n = 6571). The data were analyzed using the Cox model. Work-related stress was a risk factor for developing chronic pain or discomfort. The relative risk was 1.39 (95% CI = 1.01-1.91) for medium stress and 1.80 (95% CI = 1.28-2.52) for high stress. High psychological demands and low skill discretion were independently associated with pain/discomfort. There was no association between psychosocial factors at work and physician-diagnosed chronic back problems, arthritis, or migraine headaches. Work-related stress is a significant risk factor for nonspecific complaints of pain or discomfort among workers.