Gender differences in occupations and complaints of musculoskeletal symptoms: Representative sample of South Korean workers

Introduction The present study examines gender differences in occupations, occupational hazards, and musculoskeletal symptoms in Korean workers. Methods We performed a secondary analysis of data from the fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS). Results Relative to “managers,” men who were “craft and related trades workers,” “equipment, machine operating and assembling workers,” and in “elementary occupations” were more likely to report back pain (ORs: 2.08, 2.33, and 2.71, respectively); women who were “skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers” were more likely to report back pain (OR: 3.96). Back pain was more likely to be reported in men exposed to “carrying/moving heavy loads,” “painful/tiring postures,” and “repetitive hand/arm movements” (ORs: 1.20, 2.26, and 1.28, respectively). Conclusion Men and women workers differed in their reporting of ergonomic risk factors, and complaints of musculoskeletal symptoms. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:342–349, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.