The menopause, multisite pain and work ability in municipal employees

Background A rising number of women will go through menopause while working. We examined the association of menopausal status with multisite pain and pain interfering with work ability.

Methods We used the Helsinki Health Study data for the analyses. Female full-time municipal employees aged 45, 50, 55 or 60 years and of at least normal weight were studied. The premenopausal group included 2420 participants and the postmenopausal group 1364 participants. First, we examined the associations between menopausal status and multisite pain. Second, among those with pain ­
(n = 1481), the association between menopausal status and change in work ability due to pain was studied. Age, health behaviour and work-related factors were controlled for.

Results Postmenopause was associated with multisite pain (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.11−1.87) as compared with premenopause. Postmenopausal women had higher odds to report a large change in self-perceived work ability due to pain as compared to premenopausal women (OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.01−2.32).

Conclusions The results underline the importance of menopause for multisite pain and the contribution of pain to the change in self-perceived work ability. Support for women in menopause and further attention to work issues of women in midlife are necessary.