Acta Reumatol Port
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Work related musculoskeletal diseases (WRMSDs) have a huge social and economic impact being a public health problem. ⋯ Our work was representative of 11% of the working Portuguese population. We have found a prevalence of clinically relevant WRMSD of 5,9%. If we extrapolate for the total of the working population we would have 220 467 workers with WRMSDs. Our data are in conflict with national social security services regarding these diseases with much lower reported diseases that proves the inefficacy of the national reporting system. There are clear differences in our data when compared with the literature. We found a higher number of back pain, and in proportion of cervical pain, and lower numbers of upper and lower limb WRMSDs. In the upper limb we found a higher level of hand tendonitis and a decrease of elbow tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. This work was a first effort to characterize WRMSDs in Portugal. Due to the study design we believe that further studies aimed for higher risk populations should be performed.