International Institute for Population Sciences
Deemed to be University (An Autonomous Organization of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India)

High physical work is associated with increased risk of pain. However, there remains a scarcity of comprehensive understanding regarding the specific occupational factors contributing to this risk. This study aims to examine the risk of physical and ergonomic occupational factors with musculoskeletal pain at different anatomical sites. This study used data from the first wave of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI), conducted in 2017-2018. We analyzed the responses from 43,032 respondents aged 45+. We estimated the age-sex adjusted prevalence of back, joint, and foot pain in the study population, categorizing their occupations into 10 distinct categories using the National Classification of Occupations 2015. Additionally, using multivariate logistic regression model, we identified three significant occupational risk factors i.e. extensive physical exertion, heavy lifting, and kneeling associated with pain at different anatomical sites. Our findings indicate that Agricultural and fishery workers experience the most demanding physical activities (77.9%; 95% CI 77.2 - 78.5), heavy lifting (54.9%; 95% CI 54.1 – 55.6), and kneeling (69.7%; 95% CI 69.0 – 64.9). Following closely are elementary occupations (cleaners, helpers, mining and construction laborers, manufacturing laborers, etc.), among others. Moreover, our study revealed that these occupational risk factors significantly elevate the likelihood of pain across various anatomical sites. Engaging in substantial physical efforts increases the chances of back pain by 18% (aOR: 1.18; 95% CI 1.05 – 1.31) and joint pain by 12% (aOR: 1.12; 95% CI 1.00 – 1.25). Furthermore, repetitive kneeling raises the risk of back, joint, and foot pain by 15% (aOR: 1.15; 95% CI 1.03 - 1.29)), 12% (aOR: 1.12; 95% CI 1.00 - 1.26), and 31% (aOR: 1.31; 95% CI 1.15 - 1.49), respectively. These findings underscore the importance of addressing occupational factors to mitigate the impact on musculoskeletal health.