Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31306/s.68.3.1
Physical workload and musculoskeletal disorders among Croatian workers: A cross-sectional risk evaluation
Roko Žaja
; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Tea Samardžić
; PROTEGO Healthcare Institution, Koprivnica, Croatia
Renata Ecimović Nemarnik
; SANUS STATERA Healthcare Institution, Maribor, Slovenia
Hana Brborović
; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Ivana Markota
; Šibenik-Knin County Health Centre, Šibenik, Croatia
Ada Schubert
; Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Health Centre, Crikvenica, Croatia
Mladen Schubert
; Adria Healthcare Institution, Rijeka, Croatia
Denis Lisica Mandek
; Health Centre of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Marina Mijač
; Dr. Mijač Healthcare Institution, Split, Croatia
Milan Milošević
; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain a leading cause of occupational morbidity in Europe, particularly among workers performing physically demanding tasks. Despite the existence of regulatory frameworks and periodic health assessments, the burden of MSDs remains high in Croatia. This study aimed to assess the health risk levels related to physical workload in Croatian workers diagnosed with MSDs, focusing on those engaged in load handling and repetitive movements.
The study included 250 employed individuals (62.8% male, 37.2% female) undergoing routine occupational health evaluations, all deemed fit for work. Participants completed a detailed questionnaire on physical workload, which was used to assess risk levels using the Key Indicator Method (KIM). Diagnoses were classified per ICD-10 codes and grouped by anatomical and etiopathogenetic characteristics. The study was conducted between October 2021 and October 2022 in occupational and sports medicine clinics.
Most participants were exposed to elevated or very high health risks due to physical workload. Very high risk was present in 42.5% of those involved in lifting and carrying, while 49.5% of those performing repetitive movements were at elevated risk. Gender differences were significant for repetitive movements (P = 0.030), with women experiencing greater exposure. Back disorders were the most common MSDs (80.0%), followed by overuse syndromes (12.8%) and other MSDs (7.2%). The majority (90.4%) of MSDs had been diagnosed more than a year prior, and 69.0% of these workers had taken sick leave due to symptom worsening. The study highlights significant health risks in physically demanding occupations despite mandatory medical surveillance. Gender disparities and high chronic MSD prevalence underline the need for a paradigm shift toward proactive, functionally informed occupational health strategies. These should include individualized assessments, targeted rehabilitation, and workplace interventions adapted to enterprise capacity and worker demographics.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
351746
URI
Publication date:
4.10.2026.
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