Objective Higher homogeneity of patients with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) may enhance curative effects and facilitate understanding the mechanism of MSDs. The purpose of the article is to identify the patterns of MSDs and associated risk factors in healthcare workers in a hospital of Shanghai by latent class analysis (LCA).
Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting nursing workload data. Combined with previous questionnaire data, including study subjects' information, body part-specific MSDs prevalence, and occupational factors, LCA was used to identify MSDs patterns and risk factors.
Results The result of LCA showed six best clusters for MSDs:upper body pain group (γ=0.208), only low back pain group (γ=0.182), minor pain group (γ=0.169), neck-shoulder-waist pain group (γ=0. 152), pain in all sites group (γ=0.152), and upper body-lower limb pain group (γ=0.138). When occupational factors entered the model, "lack of rest" was found in each pattern (ρ > 0.7), and "moving heavy objects" was in the "upper body-lower limb pain group" (ρ=1.000). After grouping by workload, the best-fit results were 4 categories in each workload group. The light workload group included only low back pain group 1 (γ=0.155), only low back pain group 2 (γ=0.183), pain in all sites group (γ=0.257), and upper body pain group (γ=0.405). The medium workload group included neck-anklefoot pain group (γ=0.151), minor pain group (γ=0.270), pain in all sites group (γ=0.156), and upper body pain group (γ=0.422). The heavy workload group included only low back pain group (γ=0.390), neck-shoulder-waist pain group (γ=0.195), pain in all sites group (γ=0.131), and upper body and lower limb pain group (γ=0.284). In the career length analysis, all ORs were greater than 1.000, and except the neckshoulder-waist pain group and the upper body pain group of the heavy workload group, the rest were statistically significant (P < 0.05).
Conclusion The patterns of MSDs in the studied healthcare workers are identified. Being exposed to different occupational risk factors would lead to different MSDs patterns. The healthcare workers who move heavy objects, for instance, are more likely to be found in the upper body-lower limb pain group. Different workloads would also lead to different MSDs patterns. Higher age and work age would be associated with pain in multiple body sites.
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