The influence of psychosocial risk factors on absence due to musculoskeletal disorders

The influence of psychosocial factors on absence rates due to musculoskeletal disorders remains incompletely understood; much previous research has been cross-sectional, involving a limited range of psychosocial variables. This paper reports a large prospective study into the relationship between proposed clinical and occupational psychosocial risk factors (yellow and blue 'flags) and absence rates due to musculoskeletal disorders across a multi-site, multi-task UK pharmaceutical company. Baseline data were collected from 4,637 workers, and company-recorded absence over the ensuing. 15 months was documented. All of the psychosocial flags studied were individually predictive of the incidence of absence, but the relative influence of any one flag or group of flags on duration of future absence could not be distinguished, suggesting limited value for psychosocial screening.