Jakobsen ELT, et al. – This trial encompassed an assessment of the long–term prognosis for neck–shoulder pain and disorders and the effect of shoulder exposure among former sewing machine operators, in a 14–year follow–up study. The data illustrated a long–term adverse prognosis for neck–shoulder pain. High job shoulder exposure could worsen this prognosis for those who continue working. This finding could affect the counselling given to similar workers. The necessity of preventing neck–shoulder pain was given attention in this study.

Methods

• Data was extracted regarding the neck-shoulder pain and disorders via questionnaire and clinical examination at baseline.
• The eligible candidates included 243 female sewing machine operators and by questionnaire 14 years later.
• During follow-up, information on comorbidity and job exposures was yielded from registers and by linking register-based D-ISCO 88 codes with a job exposure matrix.
• Logistic regression analyses analyzed the correlations between neck-shoulder pain and disorders at baseline and neck-shoulder pain and physical functioning at follow-up.

Results

• The neck-shoulder disorders at baseline and neck-shoulder pain at follow-up (OR 5.9;95% CI 1.9 to 17.7), and between neck-shoulder pain at baseline and neck-shoulder pain at follow-up (OR 8.2;95% CI 3.5 to 19.2) exhibited correlations.
• A link between neck-shoulder disorders and pain at baseline and limited physical functioning at follow-up reported ORs of 5.0 (95% CI 1.5 to 16.1) and 2.2 (95% CI 1.1 to 4.6), respectively.
• In women still working in 2008, the relation between neck-shoulder pain in 1994 and in 2008 was found to be stronger for those in jobs with high job shoulder exposure.