Public officers' perceptions of work-related musculoskeletal disorder diagnosis

Abstract

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD) have shown increasing incidence all over the world. This study aimed at describing how public officers (in Fortaleza, CE) react to a WRMD diagnosis. In this qualitative study, data were collected by means of participant observation and interviews with nine informants (aged 40 through 57), recruited at a rehabilitation clinic in 2004; they were office clerks, teachers, and a technician. Two subject-matter categories emerged from data analysis: reactions to diagnosis and treatment; and interpersonal relation changes after diagnosis. Results allowed for inferring the impact of WRMD in workers' daily lives: functional limitation leads to frustration and indignation; the illness non-acknowledgment by workmates brings a feeling of rejection and exclusion. The initial reaction of denying the illness - hence not resorting to medical assistance - points to the issue of underreporting, which hinders WRMD both prevention and control.