A case-control study examined the association between Dutch farmers’ exposure to single physical risk factors
or combinations of them and sick leave due to back disorders and neck, shoulder or upper extremity disorders. The
sick leave claims of an insurance company in the years 1998–2001 for back(SL-BP, n ¼ 170) and neck, shoulder
or upper extremity complaints (SL-EXT, n ¼ 76) were analysed; the controls (n ¼ 721) were insured farmers who
had not filed any claim for sick leave in this period.