Occupational and environmental medicine
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To analyse factors that determine the occurrence of sickness absence due to musculoskeletal problems and the time it takes to return to work. ⋯ Complaints of the neck or shoulder and upper extremities in the 12 months before the study were associated with sickness absence for these complaints during the follow up. Workers with absence due to pain from back, neck or shoulder, upper extremities, or lower extremities were at higher risk of subsequent sickness absence in the next year.