Table 1.
Individual characteristics, self-reported risk factors, and health status of shipyard employees at baseline (n = 853)
| White-collar workers (n = 229) | Metal workers (n = 287) | Welders (n = 93) | Other blue collars (n = 244) | All employees (n = 853) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age [y, mean (SD)] | 36.8 (9.1) | 37.8 (9.8) | 38.4 (9.7) | 39.7 (8.8) | 38.2 (9.5) |
| Duration of employment [y, mean (SD)] | 9.5 (8.8) | 15.4 (10.2) | 17.3 (10.7) | 15.9 (9.4) | 14.3 (10.1) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2, mean (SD)) | 26.1 (4.8) | 27.2 (4.1) | 27.1 (3.9) | 27.9 (4) | 27 (4.3) |
| Technical/Basic educational level (%) | 53.1 | 96.1 | 100 | 95.7 | 85.0 |
| Living with relatives/friends (%) | 75.5 | 89.2 | 85 | 86.2 | 84.3 |
| Smoking (%) | |||||
| Never | 33.2 | 23.4 | 19.4 | 22.4 | 25.2 |
| Ex-smokers | 15.3 | 14.7 | 14 | 16.4 | 15.5 |
| Current | 51.6 | 61.9 | 66.7 | 61.2 | 59.3 |
| Manual material handlinga (%) | 6.2 | 24.2 | 12.5 | 22.6 | 17.6 |
| Strenuous shoulder/hand movementsa (%) | 34.6 | 67 | 73.5 | 63.6 | 58.0 |
| Strenuous (awkward) posturesa (%) | 17.3 | 54.9 | 54.6 | 51.6 | 43.7 |
| Perceived exertion [score, mean (SD)] | 11.1 (3.7) | 14 (2.5) | 14.1 (2.9) | 13.9 (3) | 13.2 (3.3) |
| Decision authority [score, mean (SD)] | 35.5 (26.7) | 43.8 (29.3) | 52.5 (33.9) | 46.5 (29.2) | 43.3 (29.4) |
| Skill discretion [score, mean (SD)] | 46.3 (32.6) | 33 (27.2) | 36.5 (28.3) | 36.9 (27.6) | 38.1 (29.4) |
| Job demands [score, mean (SD)] | 44.8 (22.3) | 37.3 (21.5) | 35.1 (23) | 36.3 (20.4) | 38.6 (21.9) |
| Need for recovery [score, mean (SD)] | 40.6 (28.5) | 40 (25.9) | 40.4 (29) | 38.8 (27.2) | 39.6 (27.3) |
| Perceived general health (score, mean (SD) | 21.7 (21.4) | 15.6 (18.1) | 20.7 (21.1) | 18.7 (19.1) | 18.5 (19.7) |
| Low back pain in past 12 months (%) | |||||
| Prevalence | 39.3 | 33 | 39.8 | 37.9 | 36.8 |
| Sick leave | 14.8 | 12.2 | 17.2 | 18.9 | 15.4 |
| Health care use | 17.9 | 17 | 20.4 | 21.4 | 18.9 |
| Shoulder/neck pain in past 12 months (%) | |||||
| Prevalence | 27.9 | 14.6 | 18.3 | 25.2 | 21.6 |
| Sick leave | 4.4 | 4.4 | 7.5 | 5 | 4.9 |
| Health care use | 11.8 | 7.5 | 8.6 | 8 | 8.9 |
| Hand/wrist pain in past 12 months (%) | |||||
| Prevalence | 17 | 15.3 | 10.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 |
| Sick leave | 2.6 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
| Health care use | 6.6 | 7.1 | 5.4 | 8.4 | 7.2 |
| Comorbidity | |||||
| Low back and shoulder/neck pain | 16.7 | 8.5 | 10.8 | 14.8 | 12.7 |
| Low back and hand/wrist pain | 10.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.8 |
aProportion of workers classified as high exposure