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Cited by 1,570Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitationWorkplace Health and Well-beingOccupational Health and Safety in Workplaces

Lost productive time and cost due to common pain conditions in the US workforce

Stewart, Walter F.·2003·JAMA
DOI 10.1001/jama.290.18.2443
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Abstract

CONTEXT: Common pain conditions appear to have an adverse effect on work, but no comprehensive estimates exist on the amount of productive time lost in the US workforce due to pain. OBJECTIVE: To measure lost productive time (absence and reduced performance due to common pain conditions) during a 2-week period. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study using survey data from the American Productivity Audit (a telephone survey that uses the Work and Health Interview) of working adults between August 1, 2001, and July 30, 2002. PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of 28 902 working adults in the United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lost productive time due to common pain conditions (arthritis, back, headache, and other musculoskeletal) expressed in hours per worker per week and calculated in US dollars. RESULTS: Thirteen percent of the total workforce experienced a loss in productive time during a 2-week period due to a common pain condition. Headache was the most common (5.4%) pain condition resulting in lost productive time. It was followed by back pain (3.2%), arthritis pain (2.0%), and other musculoskeletal pain (2.0%). Workers who experienced lost productive time from a pain condition lost a mean (SE) of 4.6 (0.09) h/wk. Workers who had a headache had a mean (SE) loss in productive time of 3.5 (0.1) h/wk. Workers who reported arthritis or back pain had mean (SE) lost productive times of 5.2 (0.25) h/wk. Other common pain conditions resulted in a mean (SE) loss in productive time of 5.5 (0.22) h/wk. Lost productive time from common pain conditions among active workers costs an estimated 61.2 billion dollars per year. The majority (76.6%) of the lost productive time was explained by reduced performance while at work and not work absence. CONCLUSIONS: Pain is an inordinately common and disabling condition in the US workforce. Most of the pain-related lost productive time occurs while employees are at work and is in the form of reduced performance.

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  • These absenteeism rates are higher than those reported for other pain conditions such as headaches, arthritis, and back pain.

    “These absenteeism rates are higher than those reported for other pain conditions such as headaches, arthritis and back pain (39).”

    From Patients’ report on how endometriosis affects health, work, and daily life (2010) · cites this paper as [39]

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Authors
Stewart, W. F.
Affiliations
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Stewart, Walter F.
ORCID
Stewart, Walter F.
Venue
JAMA
Publisher
American Medical Association (AMA)
Published
2003-11-12
Volume
290
Issue
18
Pages
2443
ISSN
  • 0002-9955 (ISSN-L)
  • 0098-7484
DOI
10.1001/jama.290.18.2443
OpenAlex
W2157229623
Cited by
1,570
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 61 · 2021: 70 · 2020: 67 · 2019: 75 · 2018: 72 · 2017: 73 · 2016: 77 · 2015: 84 · 2014: 99 · 2013: 95 · 2012: 98
FWCI
25.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • JAMA (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Workplace Health and Well-being
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
Keywords
pain conditions, absenteeism, headache, back pain, arthritis, musculoskeletal pain, productivity costs, labor force
MeSH terms
Absenteeism, Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Data Collection, Efficiency, Employment, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pain, United States, Prevalence, Cost of Illness

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