Construction of a Musculoskeletal Discomfort Scale for the Lower Limbs of Workers: An Analysis Using the Multigroup Item Response Theory.

Musculoskeletal symptoms are a major occupational health problem in workers, and these can affect all professional occupations. Previous studies have proposed metrics capable of evaluating the musculoskeletal discomfort experienced by workers. However, no study has developed a metric that considers professional groups. Thus, this study aimed to develop a scale for musculoskeletal discomfort in the lower limbs to compare self-reported symptoms among education, health, and industry professionals. The sample included 159 teachers, 167 health professionals, and 401 industrial operators who relayed their symptoms using a diagram of the hips, thighs, knees, lower legs, and feet. Factor and multigroup item response theory analyses were used to construct a musculoskeletal discomfort scale consisting of seven levels and to assess and compare the identified symptoms. The results showed that the progressive evolution of discomfort differed for each profession, demonstrating that each context and work environment affects workers differently, which may explain the different patterns of symptom responses among professional groups.

Do men and women have different musculoskeletal symptoms at the same musculoskeletal discomfort level?

Owing to biological and social factors, illness-related musculoskeletal symptoms tend to vary between men and women. However, in the past, conceptualised discomfort metrics were applied uniformly to both genders. This study aimed to develop a scale to measure musculoskeletal discomfort that compares the symptoms between men and women. The scale aimed to determine the gender-based response patterns related to symptoms. A total of 707 men and 1302 women reported their symptoms on a body map. Factor analysis and item response theory were used to differentiate the identified symptoms in the construction of a musculoskeletal discomfort scale. Differences in work exposure appeared to explain the symptom patterns between men and women. The scale had eight levels, and it was found that at the same level of discomfort, men and women reported symptoms in different body regions.Practitioner summary: On this discomfort scale, the response patterns of men and women were categorised into eight levels. Symptoms differed by gender at the same musculoskeletal discomfort level. This is in contrast to previous studies in which scales were devised without considering differences between the genders.Abbreviations: WMSDs: work-related musculoskeletal disorders; BMI: body mass index; FA: factor analysis; IRT: item response theory; KMO: Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin; BST: Bartlett's test of sphericity; F: factor loading; h2: communality; α: Cronbach's alpha; ωt: McDonald's omega; ai: parameters of discrimination of the items; bik: parameters of difficulty of response categories; θj: latent trait; RMSEA: root mean square error of approximation; CFI: comparative fit index; TLI: Tucker-Lewis index; odu: musculoskeletal discomfort units; RA: rarely; OF: often; AL: always.

Risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders among workers in the footwear industry: a cross-sectional study.

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of biomechanical, psychosocial, environmental and individual factors on local and multisite work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) symptoms among workers at a footwear manufacturing company. The sample comprised 267 workers. The results showed that: (a) age, sedentary lifestyle, inappropriate posture and perceived effort were associated with symptoms in the shoulders, and the combination of these factors increased the odds four-fold; (b) inappropriate posture, perceived effort and bullying were related to symptoms in the wrists, and the combination of these factors increased the odds seven-fold; (c) inappropriate posture, perceived effort, length of work at the company and low social support were associated with multisite symptoms, and their combination increased the odds up to 30-fold. Therefore, mainly biomechanical and psychosocial factors were associated with WMSD symptoms, and their combinations increased the odds of occurrence.

Evaluation of musculoskeletal discomfort using item response theory: creation of a scale based on the self-reported pain symptoms.

This study aims to build a scale for musculoskeletal discomfort based on the self-reported musculoskeletal pain by individuals. For this, methods such as factorial analysis and item response theory were used. A sample of 1821 workers of a footwear industry participated in this study. The scale consists of four levels ranging from mild to maximum discomfort. In mild discomfort (level 60), pain symptoms are rare or frequent in regions such as cervical and trapezoidal area, low back, shoulders, wrists, ankles and feet. At level 70, rare or frequent symptoms affect regions of the upper and lower limbs. At level 80, frequent symptoms become common in the trunk and in most of the upper and lower limbs. At level 90, the symptoms become daily in elbows, thighs and knees. The scale showed signs of validity and proved useful for studies in ergonomics. Practitioner Summary: Methods such as factor analysis and item response theory were used to build a four-level musculoskeletal discomfort scale that can be useful to complement the screening process for workers with musculoskeletal pain. The scale shows signs of accuracy, in addition to validity and reliability. Abbreviations: WMSD: work-related musculoskeletal disorders; CTT: classic test theory; IRT: item response theory; KMO: Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin; PR: pain rarely; PO: pain often; PE: pain everyday; DIF: differential item functioning.

Correlação entre sono e qualidade de vida em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca / Correlación entre sueño y calidad de vida en los pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca / Correlation between sleep and quality of life in patients with heart failure

A insuficiência cardíaca (IC) é um problema grave e crescente de saúde pública no cenário mundial. Dentre suas várias características, estão a baixa qualidade de vida (QV) e sonolência diurna excessiva (SDE) em virtude dos distúrbios do sono, que prejudicam sua qualidade. Identificou-se a SDE e a qualidade do sono (QS) em pacientes com IC e, correlacionou-se a SDE à QV desses pacientes. Dos 52 indivíduos incluídos no estudo, 23 pacientes o concluíram (13 H), com idade média de 60,5 anos, classe funcional (CF) II e III, com fração de ejeção ≤ 45%. Aplicou-se o 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) para QV, Questionário de Pittsburgh para QS, e Escala de Sonolência de Epworth para SDE. Ao final, 60,86% da amostra apresentaram QS ruim. Ao correlacionar-se QV com o grau de SDE, obtiveram-se resultados significativos para dor (p=0,04 e r=-0,43), vitalidade - VT (p=0,05 e r=-0,40) e aspectos sociais -AS (p=0,003 e r=-0,59). A amostra estudada apresenta QS ruim, com SDE estando presente e se correlacionando de forma negativa com QV em seus aspectos de dor, VT e AS.

La insuficiencia cardíaca (IC) es un problema mundialmente grave y creciente en la salud pública. La mala calidad de vida (QV) y la somnolencia excesiva (SDE), debida a los trastornos del sueño, son las principales características que perjudican su calidad. Se identificó la SDE y la calidad del sueño (QS) en pacientes con IC y se los correlacionó con estos pacientes. De los 52 sujetos participantes, concluyeron el estudio 23 pacientes (13 H), con un promedio de edad de 60,5 años, la clase funcional (CF) II y III y fracción de eyección del ≤ 45%. Se aplicó 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) a la QV, el cuestionario de Pittsburgh para la QS y la Escala de Somnolencia de Epworth para la SDE. Los resultados mostraron que en el 60,86% de la muestra no se obtuvo una buena QS y al correlacionarse la QV con el grado SDE los resultados fueron significativos al dolor (p=0,04 y r=-0,43), a la vitalidad - VT (p=0,05 y r=-0,40) y a los aspectos sociales - AS (p=0,003 y r=-0,59). En la muestra estudiada se mostró una mala QS, además estaba presente la SDE correlacionándola negativamente con la QV en los aspectos dolor, VT y AS.

Heart failure (HF) is a serious and growing public health problem on the world. Among its many features there are low quality of life (QOL) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) due to sleep disorders which impairs its quality. It was identified the EDS and sleep quality in patients with HF and their SDE was correlated to their QOL. Among the 52 subjects of the study, 23 patients completed the study (13M), with average age of 60.5 years, functional class (FC) II and III, ejection fraction ≤45%. Subjects were evaluated for their quality of sleep, EDS and QOL. Questionnaires were applied in the form of interview by using the SF−36 for QOL, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire for quality of sleep and Epworth Sleepiness Scale for SDE. A total of 60.86% of the sample showed poor sleep quality. Correlating QOL to EDS, significant results were obtained in the pain (p=0.04 and r=−43), vitality (p=0.05 and r=−0.40) and social functioning (p=0.003 and r=-0.59). The sample has a poor sleep quality, with presence of SDE negatively correlated with QOL in aspects of vitality, pain and social functioning.