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Table 1 Sample characteristics of musculoskeletal symptoms, demographic, work, and lifestyle-related factors across BMI categories

From: The relation between body mass index and musculoskeletal symptoms in the working population

 

Total

‘Normal’ weight

Overweight

Obese

N

43,221

24,025

14,905

4,291

Symptoms (overall) %

51.6

50.0

52.3

57.6

Neck/Shoulder

30.2

30.0

29.7

33.0

Upper Extremity

20.0

18.3

21.0

26.2

Back

24.0

24.2

23.3

26.0

Lower extremity

24.5

21.4

26.7

34.3

Gender

Male

54.2

48.0

64.4

53.4

Female

45.8

52.0

35.6

46.6

Age (in years (sd))

40.3(12.1)

37.9(12.3)

43.1(11.2)

43.7(10.9)

Employment

Full time (> = 36 hrs/wk)

56.5

51.8

63.7

57.0

Part time (<36 hrs/wk)

43.5

48.2

36.3

43.0

Physical workload: repetitive motions

Regular

33.8

33.1

33.4

38.8

Occasional

22.1

22.3

22.0

21.2

None

44.2

44.6

44.7

40.0

Physical workload: use of vibrating tools

    

Regular

9.5

8.0

11.0

12.0

Occasional

9.0

8.2

10.1

9.9

None

81.5

83.8

78.9

78.1

Physical workload: use of force

Regular

19.2

18.9

19.1

20.6

Occasional

22.5

21.6

23.0

24.9

None

58.3

59.5

57.9

54.4

Physical workload: awkward position

    

Regular

10.6

10.0

11.3

11.9

Occasional

25.9

25.6

25.9

27.3

None

63.5

64.4

62.8

60.9

Combined physical workload

high

22.0

21.7

21.9

23.6

low

78.0

78.3

78.1

76.4

Lifestyle-related factors

Physically acive (yes)

52.5

54.8

50.3

47.5

Smoking (yes)

27.6

28.1

26.9

27.0

  1. Variables are presented as proportions, with the exception of age (mean (standard deviation)).