4. Discussion
The physiological and psychological well-being of the workforce is an important indicator of healthy organizations [40]. The aim of this paper was to examine the relationship between musculoskeletal pain and psychological distress among an Australian mining population. As predicted, there was a significant relationship between pain and distress among coal miners, with more widespread pain associated with greater distress. Distress was also more pronounced among the operators/truck drivers, younger workers, and those who were less active during their time off work. It was also associated with absenteeism for workers who reported lower back pain. Pain and distress were also associated with fatigue, which was evidenced by the mediating effect of perceived sleep quality during working periods.