Co-Occupational Participation and Musculoskeletal Health in Mothers: A 7-Day Diary Study.

IMPORTANCE

Postpartum musculoskeletal disorders are prevalent, yet ergonomic approaches often overlook the temporal organization of mother-infant co-occupations. Examining weekly care patterns may help identify patterns relevant to occupational therapy assessment and future intervention research.

OBJECTIVE

To examine associations between weekly co-occupational exposure patterns and musculoskeletal disability among postpartum women.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study using a 7-day co-occupational participation log.

SETTING

Community-based online recruitment.

PARTICIPANTS

Primiparous postpartum women (N = 101).

OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Weekly exposure indicators were cumulative care load, sustained care intensity, and relative care predominance. Region-specific disability was assessed using the QuickDASH, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).

RESULTS

All three exposure indicators were positively correlated with musculoskeletal disability. In adjusted analyses, cumulative care load was consistently associated with higher ODI, NDI, and QuickDASH scores, whereas sustained care intensity was associated with higher ODI and NDI scores. Relative care predominance was not independently associated with outcomes after adjustment. Adjusted models explained 32.3% to 37.8% of outcome variance.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Weekly accumulation of high-load care days was the most consistent indicator of musculoskeletal disability across body regions; prolonged uninterrupted care bouts were additionally relevant for neck and low back disability. Temporal care patterns may be relevant to postpartum occupational therapy assessment and future intervention research.