These are the main conclusions of the study 'The burden of disease in Spain: results of the Study of the Global Burden of Diseases 2016', published in the journal Medicina Clínica a few months ago, in which Fernando G. Benavides participated among other researchers. , senior researcher of the Occupational Health Research Center (CISAL UPF / IMIM-PSMAR) and director of the Online Postgraduate in Public Health of the BSM, the management school of Pompeu Fabra University.

"Musculoskeletal problems are the main problem of disability that is not always a sick leave, sometimes occur in people already retired. The prevalence increases with age, in people who have already retired or people who have not worked, but an important part corresponds to sick leave, "says Fernando G. Benavides.

In this regard, he points out that in relation to musculoskeletal problems, one must take into account living conditions, but fundamentally work conditions, which affect, for example, problems such as carpal tunnel, wrist, back or shoulder pain.

Benavides insists that ergonomic measures can be taken in the workplace, especially taking into account that almost 80% of jobs have to do with the service sector and much of them with office work.

He points out that the ergonomic design of the jobs has evolved in the assembly lines of the industry and stresses that "in the offices, in the service sector, in the shops or in domestic work, it is not taken into account, and there is a field to be developed taking into account the cost for companies, for the health system, for Social Security and for people ".

Soriano JB, Rojas-Rueda D, Alonso J, Antó JM, Cardona PJ, Fernández E, Garcia-Basteiro AL, Benavides FG, Glenn SD, Krish V, Lazarus JV, Martínez-Raga J, Masana MF, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Ortiz A, Sánchez-Niño MD, Serrano-Blanco A, Tortajada-Girbés M, Tyrovolas S, Haro JM, Naghavi M, Murray CJL, Colaboradores de GBD en España., Lista de colaboradores de GBD en Espana.. The burden of disease in Spain: Results from the Global Burden of Disease 2016.Med Clin (Barc). 2018 Jul 20;

See article published at the newspaper La Vanguardia (16/03/2019)