Resumen

Relationship among musculoskeletal complaints and characteristics of individuals and work Introduction: Multiple studies show that the origin of the musculoskeletal discomfort is of occupational origin, and is marked by some individual characteristics of the workers. Studies have also reported that although the mechanism generating such discomfort is similar for the body overall, impact upon various areas is differentiated, with some showing more susceptibility than others. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted with 570 industrial sector workers in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Socio-demographic and employment data were gathered before applying the standardized questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: With regards to the type job 76.9% were blue collar workers, 7.5% administrative and 15.6% were managers; 46.1% shifted turns and 76.9% worked more than 40 hours per week. In relation to personal variables, 79.9% were male and the rest women (20.1%); 84.1% were between 20 and 50 years old; 35.1% had completed high school and 70.1 were married. A significant correlation was found to exist between musculoskeletal discomfort and the sex, age, shift turns and job. This gender difference was evident in eight of the nine analyzed body areas. Conclusions: Results confirm that musculoskeletal discomfort in certain areas of the body has relation with the job characteristics and that this effect is greater in women than in men. These results reinforce the need for implementing measures in the workplace, in order to improve general worker health conditions.