• Auli Airila, Jari J Hakanen, Ritva Luukkonen, Sirpa Lusa, Anne Punakallio, and Päivi Leino-Arjas.
• a Development of Work and Organizations , Finnish Institute of Occupational Health , Helsinki , Finland.
• Psychol Health. 2014 Jan 1; 29 (12): 1421-41.

ObjectiveTo investigate developmental paths in multisite musculoskeletal pain (MPS) and depressive symptoms (DPS) and the effects of job demands (JD), job resources (JR), optimism and health-related lifestyle on these paths. We expected to find four trajectories--Low Symptoms, High Pain, High Depression and High Symptoms--and hypothesised that high JDs, low JRs, low optimism and adverse lifestyle predict belonging to trajectories with high symptom levels.DesignData on Finnish firefighters (N = 360) were collected in 1996, 1999 and 2009. The effects of JDs (mental and physical workload), JRs (supervisory relations, interpersonal relations, task resources), optimism and lifestyle (alcohol consumption, smoking, physical exercise, sleeping) on MPS and DPS were assessed. Latent class growth modelling and multinomial logistic regression were applied.ResultsThree trajectories emerged: Low Symptoms; High Pain; and High Depression. In a multivariable model, high mental workload (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.5-5.5), poor interpersonal relations (2.6, 1.4-5.0), sleeping problems (2.7, 1.4-5.2) and low optimism (2.0, 1.0-3.7) predicted belonging to High Depression. Alcohol consumption (2.4, 1.4-4.1) and sleeping problems (2.1, 1.3-3.6) were related to High Pain.ConclusionsDifferent developmental paths in MPS and DPS are possible. Partly different factors predict the development of pain and depressive symptoms.

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