but the present study illustrates that these demands should not be to easily neglected.
In the present study, we used a self-reporting measure of (work-related) MSDs. Therefore, our six-month prevalence estimate could be higher than the prevalence of diagnosed work-related MSDs [34,35]. Furthermore, there are likely to be seasonal differences in prevalence. Based on literature, it seems likely that musculoskeletal complaints will more prevalent during the winter than during the summer [36], with probably larger differences for the bricklayers then the supervisors [37]. By asking the workers in December/January about their MSDs during the past six months, we aimed at finding a good estimate of workers who might benefit from preventive actions without too much bias due to including only winter or only summer months.
Furthermore, it could be argued that the interpretation of our results regarding the seriousness of the MSDs is limited because we did not describe a variety of dimensions, such as trouble, pain or disability [38,39]. Instead, we deliberately chose to assess the dimension that is, in our opinion, of highest relevance for occupational health care professionals targeting workplace adjustments, namely the extent of the problems experienced during work due to MSDs.
Implications
We found that among two distinctly different construction occupations more than half of the workers suffer from MSDs in one or more body region. Among the bricklayers, two-thirds of the population reports two or more complaints. Furthermore, approximately 40% of the workers in both occupations report that that they experience many problems during work due to their MSDs, irrespective of their occupation. This suggests that MSDs should be considered a priority in occupational preventive healthcare, irrespective of the type of occupation.
Based on our results, a job-specific approach should be considered. In the first place, bricklayers report that their MSDs are work-related twice as often (81%) as supervisors. As a consequence, our results indicate that the following activities should be targeted for ergonomic improvement among bricklayers: carrying and lifting, working with a bent back and working above shoulder height. For construction supervisors, the activities ‘standing’ and ‘walking across the construction site’ deserve attention among workers with MSDs.
For workers with MSDs, it should be kept in mind that depending on the type of occupation, a closer look at different occupational activities is warranted. For example, bricklayers with MSDs associated with the knee report that kneeling and stooping are the most important factors causing or aggravating their complaints. In addition,