Commuting time and musculoskeletal pain in the relationship with working time: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background: Commuting is essential for working life; however, prolonged travel times can negatively affect health, particularly musculoskeletal pain. This study aims to examine the relationship between commuting time and musculoskeletal pain (back, upper extremity, and lower extremity pain), in the context of working time.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey conducted in Korea between October 2020 and April 2021. Variables such as commuting time, weekly working hours, and shift work were assessed using the survey questions. Musculoskeletal pain was determined based on self-reported pains in the previous year. The covariates included demographics, employment status, ergonomic risks, and job stress. The association between commuting time and musculoskeletal pain stratified by weekly working hours or shift work was analyzed by survey-weighted logistic regression analysis.

Results: This study found a significant association between longer commuting times and increased prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, particularly back, upper extremity, and lower extremity pain. When commuting time was ≤60, 61-120, >120 minutes, the odds ratio was 1.00, 1.33 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-1.52), and 2.41 (95% CI: 1.77-3.29) for back pain; 1.00, 1.29 (95% CI: 1.13-1.46), and 2.27 (95% CI: 1.71-3.00) for upper extremity pain; and 1.00, 1.24 (95% CI: 1.05-1.45), and 1.53 (95% CI: 1.13-2.08) for lower extremity pain, respectively. Furthermore, except for upper extremity pain, this trend was amplified when participants were concurrently exposed to long working hours, and for lower extremity pain, this trend was aggravated among shift workers.

Conclusions: Long commuting time may be a risk factor for musculoskeletal pain, and its' effects could be aggravated when combined with long working hours or shift work. This study observed the detrimental impact of prolonged commuting on musculoskeletal health, particularly among employees with extended working hours or shift work.