Table 1 Characteristics of the sample of male and female employees

Age (years)

31–35

193 (9.3)

108 (10.4)

85 (8.1)

36–40

310 (14.9)

153 (14.8)

157 (15.0)

41–45

449 (21.6)

221 (21.3)

228 (21.8)

46–50

491 (23.6)

240 (23.2)

251 (24.0)

51–55

421 (20.2)

206 (19.9)

215 (20.6)

56–60

218 (10.4)

108 (10.4)

110 (10.5)

BMI

Underweight - BMI under 18.5 kg/m²

25 (1.2)

2 (0.2)

23 (2.2)

Normal weight - BMI greater than or equal to 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m²

799 (38.4)

260 (25.1)

539 (51.5)

Overweight - BMI greater than or equal to 25 to 29.9 kg/m²

891 (42.8)

570 (55.0)

321 (30.7)

Obesity - BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m²

367 (17.6)

204 (19.7)

163 (15.6)

Occupational level

unskilled workers

121 (5.8)

39 (3.8)

82 (7.8)

skilled workers

835 (40.1)

460 (44.4)

375 (35.9)

semi-professionals

580 (27.9)

235 (22.7)

345 (32.9)

academics/managers

546 (26.2)

302 (29.1)

244 (23.3)

Psychological conditions

Yes

283 (13.6)

95 (9.2)

188 (18.0)

No

1799 (86.4)

941 (90.8)

858 (82.0)

Leisure time physical activity

mostly/all the time

155 (7.4)

95 (9.2)

60 (5.7)

some/little of the time

1166 (56.0)

641 (61.9)

525 (50.2)

None of the time

761 (36.6)

300 (29.0)

441 (44.1)

Smoking

Never

852 (40.9)

390 (37.6)

462 (44.2)

In the past

622 (29.9)

337 (32.5)

285 (27.3)

Stopped in the last 12 months

37 (1.8)

24 (2.3)

13 (1.2)

Sometimes

134 (6.4)

66 (6.4)

68 (6.5)

Every day

437 (20.99)

219 (21.1)

218 (20.8)

Musculoskeletal disease

Yes

1,141 (54.8)

572 (55.2)

569 (54.4)

No

941 (45.2)

464 (44.8)

477 (45.6)

Sitting at work

Never

350 (16.8)

182 (17.6)

168 (16.1)

up to ¼ of the time

422 (20.3)

204 (19.7)

218 (20.8)

up to ½ of the time

344 (16.5)

177 (17.1)

167 (16.0)

up to ¾ of the time

346 (16.6)

173 (29.0)

173 (16.5)

more than ¾ the time, almost always

620 (29.8)

300 (29.0)

320 (30.6)

Sitting at work (hours/week)

Under 5 h/week

570 (27.4)

243 (23.5)

327 (31.3)

5 to < 15 h/week

557 (20.4)

194 (18.7)

231 (22.1)

15 to < 25 h/week

365 (17.5)

161 (15.5)

204 (19.5)

25 to < 35 h/week

334 (16.0)

171 (16.5)

163 (15.6)

35 or more hours/week

388 (18.6)

267 (25.8)

121 (11.6)

Heavy lifting at workplace

never

1,165 (56.0)

551 (53.2)

614 (58.7)

up to ¼ of the time

593 (28.5)

314 (30.3)

279 (26.7)

up to ½ of the time

171 (8.2)

94 (9.1)

77 (7.4)

up to ¾ of the time

64 (3.1)

27 (2.6)

37 (3.5)

more than ¾ the time, almost always

89 (4.3)

50 (4.8)

39 (3.7)

working hours per week (\({\rm{\bar x}}\), SD)

37.4 (12.6)

43.1 (9.0)

31.8 (13.2)

Musculoskeletal symptoms at follow-up, in 2017

Neck

Yes

1137 (54.6)

463 (44.7)

674 (64.4)

No

945 (45.4)

573 (55.3)

372 (35.6)

Shoulders

Yes

1102 (52.9)

498 (48.1)

604 (57.7)

No

980 (47.1)

538 (51.9)

442 (42.3)

Upper back

Yes

635 (30.5)

261 (25.2)

374 (35.8)

No

1447 (69.5)

775 (74.8)

672 (64.2)

Lower back

Yes

1177 (56.5)

581 (56.1)

596 (57.0)

No

905 (43.5)

455 (43.9)

450 (43.0)