4.2.5. Body Stressing by Age and Gender
The prevalence of MSDs in the general population (ABS 2001)
increases with age with the condition reported by 43% of people in
the 65-74 year age group and over half (52%) of people aged 75 and
over. The NDS data for 2001-02 shows the number of body stressing
cases increases with age to a peak at the 40-44 years age group and
then declines again. The 40-44 years age group also recorded the
8 operate large, complex mechanical equipments- fully or partially automated (ASCO 2nd edition)
9 operate stationary processing machines- tasks include fixing attachments to machines, setting controls, loading
materials to be processed, starting machinery, and maintaining production records. (ASCO 2nd edition)
31
Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Australia
highest number of cases in all four sub-groups. This might be
attributable to a ‘healthy worker effect’ and those with MSDs which
impede their work capacity work begin leaving the workforce in
larger numbers. In this age group, nearly half of all injury and
disease cases were due to body stressing. At the other end of the
scale, the less than 20 years age group were the least likely to record
an injury due to body stressing (2001-02).
The proportion of cases due to muscular stress while lifting, carrying,
or putting down objects decreased with age, while the proportion due
to muscular stress while handling objects other than lifting, carrying,
or putting down objects increased with age. For example, in the Less
than 20 years age group, the proportions of cases due to muscular
stress while lifting, carrying, or putting down objects was 59%,
whereas in the 55 years and over group, it was only 43 %. On the
other hand, the youngest group recorded 28% of its cases for
muscular stress while handling objects other than lifting, carrying, or
putting down objects compared to the oldest group which recorded
38 % of its cases for this sub-group.
The incidence of body stressing claims (per 1,000 employees with
one week or more absence) by gender steadily increases from 2.9 at
less than 20 years age group, to a peak of 8.9 for those between 50-
54 years age group before it reduces again to 5.2 for those over 55
years of age. This reduction in incidence rate could be due to those
affected workers leaving the workforce.
Overall, the NDS data shows that the body stressing incidence rate
(per 1,000 employees with 1 week of more absence) for females is
less across all age groups than that for males, reflecting amongst
other things the tendency for males to be employed in more
physically demanding occupations.
While males accounted for 69 % of all cases, they accounted for
slightly less of the Body stressing cases (66 %). This proportion has
remained steady for the past six years. The subgroup with the
highest proportion of males was muscular stress while lifting,
carrying, or putting down objects (70 % of cases) whereas the subgroup
with the highest proportion of females was repetitive
movement, low muscle loading (at around 60% of cases).
Reliable interpretation of the above data is not possible without
additional information concerning age-related variation in types of
work and associated hazard exposures. It is likely that differences
between different age groups in injury patterns are due, at least in