Self-Reported Physical Work Demands in the Dutch Working Population from 2014 to 2023: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

Occupational ApplicationsThirty-four percent of the Dutch working population work in physically demanding jobs, and this proportion remained relatively stable over time. Self-reported physical work demands were higher in those with a lower (compared to higher) education level. Specific self-reported physical work demands (substantial force exertion, repetitive movements, uncomfortable body postures, and vibrations) differ between genders, age groups, and occupational sectors. Our findings show that physical work demands remain prevalent in the Dutch working population, indicating the necessity for a better understanding of the health effects of these work demands and occupational interventions and policies targeting these work demands. Our results identify specific groups on which such interventions and policies could be focused.

Plain language summary
Background Physical work demands are associated with various adverse health outcomes. However, it remains unknown whether self-reported physical work demands have changed over time and in what sociodemographic groups they are most prevalent.Purpose We aimed to: 1) evaluate the prevalence of self-reported physical work demands in the Dutch working population; 2) assess associations of time period and sociodemographic characteristics with physical work demands; and 3) identify the most physically demanding occupations.Methods Repeated cross-sectional data of the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey, with different samples collected annually between 2014 and 2023, were used (n = 488,494). Four physical work demands were self-reported: significant force exertion, repetitive movements, uncomfortable body postures, and exposure to body vibrations. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were applied to estimate the associations between time period and sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, and education level) as independent variables and the four physical work demands. To list the 10 occupations in which physically work demands were most prevalent, we defined a physically demanding job based on a combination of the frequency and number of physical work demands.Results Over time, there was a small reduction in self-reported regular repetitive movements (OR [95%CI]: 0.97 [0.97-0.97]), but not in any of the other self-reported physical work demands. We found that physical work demands differed between genders, were higher with lower (compared to high) education levels, and were relatively lower among older (compared to younger) workers. Thirty-four percent of Dutch working population work in physically demanding jobs, with carpenters and joiners identified as physically most demanding occupations.Conclusions In the Netherlands, self-reported physical work demands remained high and largely unchanged over the last decade. Physical work demands differ between sociodemographic groups, the knowledge of which helps to identify high risk groups to focus interventions on.