Adults with musculoskeletal symptoms in Chile reported similar total physical activity and sedentary behavior but about 16 fewer minutes of sleep per day and more work-related physical activity than adults without symptoms, and failure to meet recommendations was frequent in both groups.
Musculoskeletal symptoms in the previous seven days were present in 38% of Chilean adults.
Adults with musculoskeletal symptoms slept about 16 fewer minutes per day than adults without symptoms.
Total physical activity did not differ statistically between adults with and without musculoskeletal symptoms.
Sedentary time did not differ statistically between adults with and without symptoms, although the estimate leaned toward more sedentary time in those with symptoms.
Adults with symptoms reported more work-related physical activity but less travel-related physical activity than those without symptoms.
Many adults with musculoskeletal symptoms did not meet physical activity, sedentary behavior, or sleep recommendations.
No statistically significant association was found between musculoskeletal symptoms and adherence to any of the recommendations.
The cross-sectional design prevents determining the direction of the associations, so prospective studies are needed.
This study used data from a national health survey of about 5,500 adults in Chile (2016 to 2017) to see whether people with muscle and joint symptoms differ from others in how much they move, sit, and sleep. About 38% of adults reported such symptoms in the previous week. People with symptoms did not differ clearly from those without in total physical activity or sitting time. They did sleep about 16 minutes less per day on average, reported more physical activity at work, and less physical activity from traveling (such as walking or cycling to places). Many people in both groups did not meet recommendations for activity, sitting time, or sleep, and having symptoms was not statistically linked to missing these recommendations. This research suggests that muscle and joint symptoms are common and may be linked to somewhat shorter sleep and different patterns of activity, but because the survey captured one point in time and relied on self-reports, it cannot show whether symptoms affect sleep and activity or the reverse. Longer-term studies are needed to clarify this.
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Upload Your LabsBluhm-Perez S, Leppe-Zamora J. (2026). Association of musculoskeletal symptoms with physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep: A secondary analysis of the 2016 to 2017 Chilean National Health Survey.. Medwave. https://doi.org/10.5867/medwave.2026.10.3229