Prevalence of impairments, disabilities, handicaps and quality of life in the general population: a review of recent literature

International audienc

Social disparities in musculoskeletal disorders and associated mental malaise : findings from a population-based survey in France

International audienceAims:Various types of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have comorbid mental disorders, which may in turn have a negative influence on disease course and role impairment, but the contribution of social factors to this type of comorbidity is a much under-researched area. This study investigates whether there is a socially patterned association of MSDs with different dimensions of mental malaise. Methods: The sample included 3,368 economically active participants aged 18—64 years, randomly selected from the Lorraine region in north-eastern France. Information was provided through a post-mailed questionnaire on fatigue, sadness/depression (Duke questionnaire) and cognitive disability during the last eight days. Results: MSDs were significantly more prevalent in manual workers, clerks and other occupations than in upper and intermediate professionals, and similar occupational disparities were found for cognitive disability, fatigue and sadness/ depression. Stratifying the sample, we found the occupational disparities in cognitive disability to be much stronger among participants suffering from MSDs than among participants not suffering from MSDs, and the occupational disparities in fatigue and sadness/depression to be limited to the subsample of subjects suffering from MSDs. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that the association of MSDs with mental malaise is much stronger in the lower occupational groups than in the higher groups. Given that psychological factors are implicated in disease prognosis and in the development of disabilities, awareness of the social dimension of the association and treatment of the comorbid mental disorders could open a promising avenue for reducing social inequalities in disability related to MSDs

Association between cognitive disability and falls and role of lifestyle in the elderly

International audienceIntroduction: Falls and cognitive disability represent important problems of public health, yet their relationships and the roles as mediators of lifestyle factors have not been well documented. This study assessed the association between falls and cognitive disability and lifestyle factors among elderly people. Methods and materials: In total 1,697 subjects (776 men and 921 women), 60 years, randomly selected from the Lorraine population ( 2 . 3 aged million inhabitants) completed a postal questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics, height, weight, socio-occupational category, diseases diagnosed by a physician, smoking habit, alcohol abuse (Deta questionnaire), cognitive disability (defined as difficulties for concentration, attention, orienteering, problem-solving or memory), and falls which resulted in physical injuries with difficulties for daily living activities observed at the time of the survey (at home, work, public places, during sports or leisure activities). Data were analyzed using the logistic model. Resuls: Falls were common (3.5%) and cognitive disability affected 46.6% of subjects. Falls related to cognitive disability (odds ratio 2.09, 95% CI 1.04-2.96). The OR decreased to 1.48 (95% CI 0.86-2.55) when controlling for gender, age, educational level, obesity, smoking, alcohol abuse, musculoskeletal disorders, other diseases, and perceived income. Among these factors those with significant adjusted OR (ORa), and thus mediated the association between falls and cognitive disability, were: aged 70-79 (ORa 1.73, 0.96-3.09) and aged 80+ (2.20, 1.01-4.83) vs. aged 60-69, obesity (1.88, 1.09-3.23), alcohol abuse (3.07, 1.30-7.24), and musculoskeletal disorders (4.43, 1.74-11.31). Conclusion: We found high prevalences of cognitive disability and falls with physical injuries and their strong associations in the general elderly population. This relationship was partly mediated by increasing age, obesity

Relationship between job, lifestyle, age and occupational injuries

International audienceBackground : Physical job demands (PJD), age, disability and lifestyle may influence the risk of occupational injury.Aim : To assess the relationships between PJD, lifestyle and injury in workers of various ages.Methods A total of 2888 randomly selected workers from northeastern France, aged ≥15, completed a postal questionnaire. The PJD score was defined as the total number of the following reported job demands: using pneumatic tools, other vibrating hand tools, hammers, machine tools or vibrating platforms and exposure to manual handling tasks, awkward postures, high pace of work, high physical workload, work at heights, work in adverse climates or exposure to noise, cold or heat. Data were analysed using logistic regression.Results Nine per cent of subjects reported an injury during the previous 2 years. The PJD score was related to the injury rate for workers aged ≥45: crude odds ratio (OR) 3.5 (95% confidence interval = 1.5-8.0) for PJD = 1, 5.0 (2.2-11.3) for PJD = 2-3 and 14.5 (6.5-32.2) for PJD ≥4, versus PJD = 0. Lower ORs were found for those aged <30 (1.4, 4.2 and 9.9, respectively) and 30-44 (1.5, 4.4 and 6.5, respectively). The differences between age groups remained when controlling for all factors studied. Obesity, smoking and musculoskeletal disorders were associated with injury risk in workers aged ≥45 (adjusted ORs 1.7-2.6). Smoking was also an injury risk factor for workers aged <30.Conclusions PJD and lifestyle have a higher impact on injury rates among older workers than among younger ones. Injury prevention should address reducing PJD and improving relevant lifestyle factors, especially for older workers

Relationship of physical job demands to initiating smoking among working people : a population-based cross-sectional study

International audienceThis study assessed the relationships of lifetime smoking and initiating smoking with job demands among 2,888 randomly selected workers, aged 15 yr or over, using a post-mailed questionnaire. Cumulated job demands (CJD) was defined as the number of: using pneumatic tools, other vibrating hand tools, hammer, tasks at height, working in adverse climate, pace of working, cold, heat, and noise exposure. Lifetime smoking was reported by 63.8% of subjects, and 5.9% initiated smoking during present job. Logistic model shows that lifetime smoking related to the CJD: OR adjusted for years with job 2.47 (95%CI 1.69-3.60) for CJD> or =4, 1.50 (1.21-1.85) for CJD2-3, and 1.20 (1.00-1.44) for CJD1, vs. CJD0. Initiating smoking also related to the CJD: ORs 3.72 (1.95-7.11), 1.51 (0.96-2.39) and 1.47 (0.97-2.24), respectively. These associations were partly confounded by gender, income, obesity and job. Smoking related to job demands and their limitation should help preventing smoking

Occupational disparities in accidents and roles of lifestyle factors and disabilities : a population-based study in north-eastern France

International audienceOBJECTIVE: To assess occupational disparities with regard to the occurrence of occupational, traffic, domestic and sports accidents, and the role of factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, psychotropic drug intake and disability in mediating these disparities. CONCLUSION: Occupational disparities in accidents mainly concern men and are predominantly observed in occupational and traffic accidents. Lifestyle factors do play a role in explaining these disparities, but are fairly limited. Improved work conditions, equipment, health behaviours, safe driving practices and accommodation of people with disabilities are needed to reduce the risk of accidents

Fatigue, insomnia and nervousness : gender disparities and roles of individual characteristics and lifestyle factors among economically active people

International audienceBackground Individuals with certain personal, family and job characteristics are at elevated risk of poor mental health. Yet, the respective role ofobesity, smoking, alcohol abuse, low education, income, living and family conditions, and sociooccupational category in fatigue/insomnia (FI),nervousness (N) and frequent drug use for those disorders (DFI and DN) among men and women and in gender disparities are not well known. Methods We studied gender differences in FI, N, DFI, DN, and in their correlated, and whether the gender differences were mediated by individual and lifestyle factors among 3,450 active subjects aged 18–64, randomly selected from North-eastern France. Subjects completed a post-mailed questionnaire. Data were analyzed via adjusted odds ratio (ORa) computed with the logistic regression model. Results Women were more affected than men for FI (21.3 vs. 13.1%, OR adjusted for age ORa 1.80, 95% CI 1.50–2.16), DFI (11.6 vs. 7.1%, ORa 1.74, 1.38–2.21), N (14.7 vs. 9.9%,ORa 1.58, 1.28–1.94), and for DN (12.1 vs. 5.7%, ORa 2.29, 1.79–2.94). These differences were not mediated by the individual characteristics studied. Multivariate analysis showed that the risk patterns varied between the two sexes. Smoking was related to N in men as well as in women; alcohol abuse to DFI in men only; lack of family support to all outcome variables in men and women; low educational level to DFI in men only;low income to FI, N and DN in men and to FI and DN in women; being unmarried to DN in men; being divorced/separated to N and DN in women; being a manual worker to FI and being a farmer to DFI in men; and being a manual worker to DN and being an employee to FI in women (1.50 £ ORa £ 2.95). Conclusions Women suffered more from fatigue/insomnia and nervousness and used more drug for those disorders than men. Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors played significant roles among men and women but they did not explain the gender disparitie

Prevalence of impairments, disabilities, handicaps and quality of life in the general population: a review of recent literature

International audienc

Prevalence of impairments, disabilities, handicaps and quality of life in the general population: a review of recent literature

International audienc