Are there health effects of harassment in the workplace? A gender-sensitive study of the relationships between work and neck pain

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify workplace physical and psychosocial risk factors for neck pain among male and female workers and, in particular, to study the relationship between neck pain and intimidation and sexual harassment in the workplace in a representative sample of the Quebec working population. The study sample included 5405 men and 3987 women. In multiple logistic regression analyses, when taking into account individual and other workplace factors, neck pain was significantly associated with intimidation at work among both male (odds ratio (OR) 1.4 (1.01–1.8)) and female workers (OR 1.3 (1.01–1.8)). Among female workers, neck pain was alsosignificantly associated with unwanted sexual attention (OR 1.6 (1.1–2.4)). If confirmed in prospective studies, these results suggest that interventions to prevent harassment in the workplace may help reduce musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace and that workplace programmes to reduce harassment in the workplace should include prevention of sexual harassment.

Practitioner Summary: While taking into account relevant personal factors and previously identified workplace physical and psychosocial risk factors, this gender-based study identifies new work exposures associated with neck pain that have not previously been studied, including unwanted sexual attention, intimidation and difficult or tense situations with the public.

Keywords:

• neck pain
• physical work demands
• psychosocial work demands
• sexual harassment
• workplace harassment

Acknowledgements

This study was made possible through the kind assistance ofSanté Québec, a division of the Institut de la statistique duQuébec (ISQ), in providing the survey data. In particular, we thank Denis Ouellette and Lucie Gingras of the CADRISQ for their help. This study is part of a series being conducted by the Scientific Working Group on Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Institut national de santé publique du Québec.