Musculoskeletal disorders

Age and Gender

The most recent information from the Labour Force Survey relating to self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders by age and gender relates to 2007/08.

The prevalence rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders was not found to be statistically significantly different for males (1800 per 100 000 males ever worked - 1.8%) compared with females (1700 per 100 000 females) in 2007/08 (Table MSDAGE1W12). However, the overall prevalence rates for both males and females was found to be statistically significantly lower in 2007/08 than that seen in 2006/07 and 2005/06.

The oldest working age groups for males and females (45-54 years and 55 years plus), and males aged 35-44 years, carried the highest prevalence rates. They were statistically significantly higher than the corresponding gender-specific rate (Table MSDAGE1W12)

The incidence rates for males and females were of a similar order (not statistically significantly different), at 560 per 100 000 males (0.56%) and 630 per 100 000 females (0.63%) who worked in the last 12 months. The 55 years plus age group for men was found to be statistically significantly higher than that for all age groups as a whole, along with the 45-54 year age group for females (Table MSDAGE2W12).