TABLE 3—
Risk Factors Associated With Significant Lower-Leg or Calf Pain Among the Working Population Aged 18 to 65 Years: Quebec, 1998
| Men,a AOR (99% CI) | Women,a AOR (99% CI) | Total Population,a AOR (99% CI) | |
| Gender | |||
| Men | 1.00 | ||
| Women | 2.72*** (1.87, 3.95) | ||
| Age, y | |||
| 25–39 (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 18–24 | 0.59 (0.22, 1.62) | 1.30 (0.59, 2.83) | 0.91 (0.50, 1.67) |
| 40–49 | 1.43 (0.88, 2.32) | 1.78*** (1.12, 2.84) | 1.56** (1.11, 2.21) |
| 50–65 | 2.19*** (1.28, 3.75) | 2.96*** (1.78, 4.91) | 2.45***(1.67, 3.59) |
| Household income | |||
| Upper-middle- or higher- income quintiles (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Very poor, poor, or lower-middle- income quintiles | 1.51** (1.02, 2.23) | 1.31b (0.99, 1.72) | |
| Having a preschool child | |||
| No (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Yes | 1.88*** (1.15, 3.08) | 1.86** (1.17, 2.96) | |
| Having a preschool child by gender (interaction) | 0.38** (0.18, 0.81) | ||
| BMI, kg/m2 | |||
| Healthy weight (20–26.9; Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Underweight (< 20) | 3.04*** (1.46, 6.33) | 0.95 (0.53, 1.72) | 2.71*** (1.32, 5.60) |
| Overweight (27–29.9) | 1.02 (0.64, 1.62) | 0.69 (0.33, 1.43) | 1.06 (0.67, 1.69) |
| Obese (≥ 30) | 1.38 (0.80, 2.38) | 1.11 (0.63, 1.96) | 1.41 (0.82, 2.42) |
| BMI, kg/m2 by gender (interaction) | |||
| Underweight (< 20) by female | 0.38** (0.15, 0.95) | ||
| Overweight (27–29.9) by female | 0.65 (0.27, 1.53) | ||
| Obese (≥ 30) by female | 0.77 (0.36, 1.69) | ||
| Leisure physical activities, > 20 min at a time | |||
| Once a week or more (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Once, twice, or 3 times a month | 1.11 (0.65, 1.89) | 1.08 (0.76, 1.54) | |
| Never | 1.79*** (1.18, 2.73) | 1.47** (1.09, 2.00) | |
| Detailed working posture | |||
| Sitting with the possibility of getting up at will (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Standing with the possibility of sitting down at will | 2.11* (0.97, 4.61) | 1.45 (0.67, 3.14) | 1.80** (1.04, 3.11) |
| Moving around, long distance | 3.64*** (1.97, 6.71) | 3.39*** (1.93, 5.95) | 3.56*** (2.34, 5.40) |
| Moving around, short distance | 3.91*** (2.03, 7.54) | 2.49*** (1.41, 4.41) | 3.05*** (1.97, 4.70) |
| Standing in a fixed position | 3.46*** (1.52, 7.89) | 3.64*** (1.84, 7.20) | 3.60*** (2.12, 6.09) |
| Sitting in a constrained posture | 1.46 (0.60, 3.55) | 0.87 (0.35, 2.13) | 1.20 (0.65, 2.22) |
| Handling heavy loads | |||
| Never or occasionally (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Fairly often | 1.83** (1.02, 3.26) | 1.23 (0.84, 1.81) | |
| All the time | 2.78*** (1.44, 5.39) | 1.62** (1.04, 2.53) | |
| Whole body vibrations | |||
| Never or occasionally (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Fairly often | 1.44 (0.73, 2.82) | 1.32 (0.69, 2.55) | |
| All the time | 3.70*** (2.02, 6.76) | 2.98*** (1.65, 5.38) | |
| Intimidation at work | |||
| Never (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Occasionally, often, or very often | 1.55** (1.00, 2.39) | 1.43** (1.05, 1.94) | |
| Job strain | |||
| Low strainc (Ref) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Passived | 0.51** (0.30, 0.89) | 0.89 (0.49, 1.61) | 0.71* (0.47, 1.06) |
| Activee | 0.74 (0.43, 1.27) | 0.77 (0.39, 1.51) | 0.79 (0.52, 1.21) |
| High strainf | 0.92 (0.54, 1.58) | 1.43 (0.80, 2.54) | 1.11 (0.75, 1.66) |
| Elevated psychological distress | 2.48*** (1.61, 3.81) | 1.95*** (1.30, 2.94) | 2.17*** (1.61, 2.92) |
Note. AOR = adjusted odds ratio; CI = confidence interval; BMI = body mass index. BMI was measured as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Data reported are the results of the final logistic regression models. Pain was defined as interfering with usual activities fairly often or all the time over the previous 12 months. Survey respondents worked 25 hours per week or more.
aHosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test: P = .820 for the model for men; P = .118 for the model for women; P = .234 for the model for the total population.
bP = .013.
cLow psychological demands, high decision latitude.
dLow psychological demands, low decision latitude.
eHigh psychological demands, high decision latitude.
fHigh psychological demands, low decision latitude.
*P < .05; **P < .01; ***P < .001.