Musculoskeletal Symptoms, Sleep, and Stress in Midwestern Agricultural Women

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are an international problem in female agricultural workers. The rates of musculoskeletal disorders in women are higher than in men. Stress, sleep, and joint and muscle pain are interconnected. This study aimed to better understand these relationships in women actively engaged in agriculture in the Midwestern US. A brief survey was mailed to 5018 addresses purchased from an agricultural marketing company. There were 235 responses and after removing those respondents not working on the farm, 202 were analyzed. A latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups based on a set of eight questions asking about pain, stress, sleep, exercise, and seeking medical care. Two groups emerged based on musculoskeletal impact severity. The group of 67 (33.2%) showed mild impacts and the larger group of 135 (66.8%) showed more severe impacts. The severe group exercised less frequently, experienced more frequent pain, and more frequent problems with sleep and stress. The women reported that the most likely relationship between pain and stress was bidirectional. Pain, stress and sleep were interconnected. Prevention of an MSD is important for quality of life, but after an MSD, reducing stress levels and improving sleep can reduce the burden of an MSD.