Musculoskeletal Complaints Among Female Childcare Workers in German Daycare Centres—A Survey Study with a Comparison Group

Childcare workers are at risk of musculoskeletal complaints due to various stresses. Comparative studies focusing on this group are lacking. In a cross-sectional study, we asked female childcare workers and women from the general population (comparison group) about musculoskeletal complaints, categorised by body regions, and private/occupational risk factors. The childcare workers were recruited from Hamburg daycare centres and the comparison group from the residents' registration office. The survey was conducted between October 2022 and July 2023. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated in logistic regressions for factors influencing the occurrence of complaints that limited participants' work or leisure activities in the past 12 months. Questionnaires from 218 female childcare workers and 250 from the comparison group were analysed. The comparison group had a 17.3% response rate. No response rate could be calculated for childcare workers. ORs for childcare workers were statistically significantly higher for complaints relating to the neck/cervical spine, shoulders/upper arms, knees and lumbar spine/lower back (OR between 1.7 and 3.2). This is the first study to compare the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints in female childcare workers with other working women. The results show statistically significant differences, highlighting the need for interventions that address individual and workplace factors.