Abstract

JESUS, Cleber Souza de; CARVALHO, Fernando Martins  and  ARAUJO, Tânia Maria de. Psychological demands at work and musculoskeletal pain among female teachers. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2016, vol.17, n.3, pp.575-586. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/16psd170320.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of control (decision latitude) on the association between psychological demands at work and upper limbs musculoskeletal pain (ULMSP) among female teachers. Cross-sectional study with 677 individuals was female teachers, with exclusive classroom activities, from the elementary and high school level at Vitória da Conquista, State of Bahia, Brazil. Work psychosocial aspects (psychological demands and control) were evaluated by the Job Content Questionnaire. Prevalence rates, global and adjusted Prevalence Ratios (PR) and respective 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) were estimated. Global prevalence of ULMSP was 66.0%. Teachers in active work (high demand and high control) (PR = 1.34; 1.16 - 1.56) and teachers in high strain (high demand and low control) (PR=1.28; 1.05 - 1.56) presented higher ULMSP prevalence as compared to those in low strain (low demand and high control), adjusting for confounding variables. Teachers with high psychological demands presented higher ULMSP prevalence (PR = 1.40; 1.07 - 1.84) than those with low psychological demands. This association was slightly stronger among teachers with low control (PR = 1.57; 1.08 - 2.29) than among those with high control (PR = 1.33; 1.09 - 1.63), adjusting by age, education, number of teaching classes, number of hours per week, private or public system, domestic overload and social support at work. The prevalence of upper limbs musculoskeletal pain is more associated to psychological demands than to control.

Keywords : Stress; Psychological; Education, Primary and Secondary; Cumulative Trauma Disorders; Women, Working.

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