Assessment of the prevalence and risk factors of low back pain in operating room health workers: An observational study in Italy (original) (raw)
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Purpose: In the present era, Low Back Pain (LBP) is a destructive health problem. It affects many people and accounts for huge economic loss. Office workers have a unique lifestyle while working in sedentary position with poor body posture for long periods of time. The musculoskeletal problems can result in inconvenience or pain with bad impact on the quality of life. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done to find the prevalence and risk factors of LBP among the office workers of King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Lahore, Pakistan. After taking the ethical approval from Institutional Review Board (IRB), KEMU, Lahore, a sample size of 300 office workers was calculated by using proportion formula of sample size estimation with 5% margin of error from KEMU with effect from Jan 2015 to Sep 2015. Participants aged between 18 and 60 years with at least 1 year work experience completed the validated questionnaires. Results: Results showed that point and lifetime prevalence of LBP among office workers of KEMU, Lahore, Pakistan was 29.20% and 69.20%, respectively. LBP prevalence rose with the increase in age, work experience, low education, low physical activity, sleep disturbance, smoking habit, more sitting and standing time, computer use, and low job satisfaction. Conclusion: We concluded that different individual, ergonomic, and psychosocial factors were associated with LBP. Because of high prevalence of LBP among office workers of this university, better ergonomic facilities and awareness about sitting posture, regular exercise, good sleep, and psychological support to the workers were recommended to decrease the effects of predisposing risk factors of LBP.
Occupation and Risk for the Occurrence of Low-Back Pain (LBP) in Danish Employees
Occupational Medicine, 1996
Using data from a nation-wide cross-sectional survey in 1990 a study examining the risk for occurrence of LBP in various specific occupations was made among 5,185 Danish employees aged 19-59 years old. After adjusting for the confounding effects of age and gender we found significantly increased risks of LBP in three out of nine major occupational categories. They were 'health care and social work' (OR=1.52, 95% 01 = 1.28-1.80), 'mining, quarrying and construction work' (OR=1.97, 95% 01=1.41-2.74) and 'manufacturing and machine operation work' (OR=1.21, 95% 01 = 1.05-1.40). Among 39 second-level occupational categories the highest risks were observed among persons employed in 'building construction work' (OR=1.97, 95% 01 = 1.41-2.74), 'social work, child day care work and psychological work' (OR=1.64, 95% 01 = 1.32-2.05). Skilled and unskilled manual workers had an increased risk of LBP
Pain research and treatment, 2016
Background. Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common health problems worldwide. Purpose. To investigate the link between baseline demographic and occupational, medical, and lifestyle data with following psychological and occupational outcomes in a large sample of employees with LBP over a 3-year period. Study Design. Three-year prospective cohort study. Methods. Italian-speaking employees (N = 4492) with a diagnosis of LBP were included. Screening at Time 1 was done in order to collect information about severity and classification of LBP, demographic, lifestyle, and occupational status data. Psychological distress (PGWBI) and occupational burden were assessed after 3 years. Results. After 3 years, employees with LBP not due to organic causes had an increased risk of psychological distress. Gender appears to be an important variable for following occupational burden. Indeed, being a white-collar man with a LBP without organic causes seems to be a protective factor for following ...
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 2016
Background: Low back pain (LBP) occurrence and intensity are considered to fluctuate over time, requiring frequent repetitive assessments to capture its true time pattern. Text messages makes frequent reporting of LBP feasible, which enables investigation of 1) the time pattern of LBP, and 2) predictors for having a continued high (chronic) level of LBP over longer periods of time. However, this has not previously been investigated in a larger working population. The aim of this study was to examine these two aspects in a working population of 842 workers with repetitive measurements of LBP over one year. Methods: There were 842 workers from 15 companies in the DPhacto study participating in this study. Demographic, work-and health-related factors, and back endurance were measured at baseline, while 14 monthly repeated text message assessments of LBP intensity were prospectively collected. A factor analysis was used to cluster different time-patterns of LBP, and defining the group of participants with chronic LBP. A multi-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate baseline predictors for chronic LBP. Results: The factor analysis revealed two dimensions of the time pattern of LBP, defined as the LBP intensity and LBP variation, respectively. A Visual Pain Mapping was formed based on the combination of the two pain dimensions, classifying the time-patterns of LBP into four categories: (1) low intensity and low variation, (2) low intensity and high variation, (3) high intensity and high variation, (4) high intensity and low variation (defined as chronic LBP). Significant baseline predictors for chronic LBP in the fully adjusted model were high baseline LBP (p < 0.01), low workability (p < 0.01), low BMI (p < 0.05), and being a blue-collar worker (vs. white-collar worker) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study presents a novel classification of the course of LBP based on repetitive measurements over a year, and revealed the predicting factors for chronic LBP based on repetitive measurements in a working population.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Low Back Pain in Industrial Workers
Folia Medica, 2011
The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in industrial workers, check for possible LBP related risk factors and investigate the associations between physical activity and severity of low back pain. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 430 workers of an industrial company over the previous 12 months. The industrial workers were given questionnaires and assigned to two groups: (1) with low back pain, (2) without low back pain. Group 1 was then divided into three subgroups according to the answer to question (a) LBP without irradiation, called mild cases, (b) LBP with irradiation above the knee, called moderate cases, LBP with the irradiation below the knee, called severe cases. RESULTS: LBP was found in 61.6% of workers. The prevalence of LBP was signifi cantly associated with physical activity (p = 0.03). There was a signifi cant difference between frequent physical activity and severity of LBP (p = 0.01). Work-related physical factors showed strong associations with LBP. The main risk factors for low back pain among production workers were extreme trunk fl exion (OR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.7-7.3), as well as lifting of loads (OR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.9-6.2), pushing or pulling heavy loads (OR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.9-6.2) and exposure to whole body vibration (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.0-3.0). CONCLUSION: Daily life conditions, job-related factors are associated with the occurrence of low back pain. These results suggest that individuals with LBP should avoid nonspecifi c physical activities to reduce pain and improve psychological health.
Prognostic occupational factors for persistent low back pain in primary care
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2013
Purpose To reduce the socio-economic burden of persistent low back pain (LBP), factors influencing the progression of acute/subacute LBP to the persistent state must be identified at an early stage. Methods Prospective inception cohort study of patients attending a health practitioner for their first episode of acute/subacute or recurrent LBP. Patients were assessed at baseline addressing occupational, psychological, biomedical and demographic/lifestyle factors and followed up over 6 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed separately for the variables groups of the four different domains, controlling for age, gender and body mass index. The overall predictive value was calculated for the full regression models of the different domains. Finally, all significant variables from the different domains were combined into a final predictor model. Results The final four-predictor model predicted 51 % of variance of persistent LBP and included 'resigned attitude towards the job' (OR 1.73; 95 % CI 1.16-2.59), 'social support at work' (OR 0.54; 95 % CI 0.32-0.90), 'functional limitation' (OR 1.05; 95 % CI 1.01-1.10) and 'duration of LBP' (OR 1.04; 95 % CI 1.02-1.06). The accuracy of the model was 83 %, with 92 % of non-persistent and 67 % of persistent LBP patients correctly identified. Conclusions In this study of patients with acute/subacute LBP, 'resigned attitude towards the job' increased the likelihood of persistent LBP at 6 month. Addressing this factor with workplace interventions has the potential to modify the outcome. In patients experiencing 'social support at work', the development of persistent LBP was less likely and might therefore be considered as potential resource for prevention of persistent LBP.
Applied Ergonomics, 2012
Although quite a lot is known about the risk factors for low back symptoms (LBS), less is known about the risk factors for the consequences of LBS. A sample of 3003 men and women randomly selected from the New Zealand Electoral Roll, were interviewed by telephone about self reported physical, psychosocial, organizational, environmental factors and the consequences of LBS (i.e. self-reported reduced activities and absenteeism). The 12-month period prevalence of reduced activities and absenteeism were 18% and 9%, respectively. Lifting (OR 1.79 95% CI 1.16e2.77) increased the risk of reduced activities. Working in awkward/tiring positions (OR 2.11 95% CI 1.20e3.70) and in a cold/damp environment (OR 2.18 95% CI 1.11e4.28) increased the risk of absenteeism. Among those with LBS, reduced activities increased with working in a hot/warm environment (OR 2.14 95% CI 1.22e3.76) and absenteeism was increased with work in awkward/tiring positions (OR 2.06 95% CI 1.13e3.77), tight deadlines (OR 1.89 95% CI 1.02e3.50), and a hot/warm environment (OR 3.35 95% CI 1.68e6.68). Interventions to reduce the consequences of LBS should aim to reduce awkward/tiring positions, lifting and work in a cold/damp environment. For individuals with LBS, additional focus should be to reduce tight deadlines, and work in hot/warm environments.
Prevalence and factors associated to low back pain among hospital staff
Joint Bone Spine, 2005
Objectives.-Because of its frequency and consequences on professional life, low back pain (LBP) represents a real health care problem. Our study is aimed at determining the prevalence of LBP among hospital staff, analyzing the medical and professional consequences as well as investigating into the factors associated to this health problem. Methods.-We have conducted an inquiry among 350 employees at Fattouma Bourguiba teaching hospital. The employees have answered a pre-established questionnaire including 51 items. Results.-The cumulative life-prevalence was 57.7% of the cases. The annual prevalence was 51.1% of the cases. Chronic LBP prevalence was 12.8% of the cases. Medical care was required in 61.9% of the cases. Radiological explorations were performed in 45% of the cases. Sick leave was observed in 26.1% of the cases and an occupational change was necessary in two cases. Factors associated to LBP were age (P < 0.01), female gender (P = 0.024), high BMI (P = 0.01), the fact of being married or divorced (P < 0.01), smoking (P = 0.016), past medical LBP history (P < 0.0001), extra professional activity (P < 0.01), migraine (P < 0.001), years' service (P = 0.007) as well as heavy weight lifting (P = 0.008). Exercise is rather a protecting factor against LBP (P = 0.019). Conclusion.-The prevalence of LBP among hospital staff as well as the socio-professional drawbacks is important. Many factors are associated to LBP urging medical teams to take some preventive measures to reduce this affliction.
Prevalence of low back pain in Greek public office workers
Pain …, 2007
Background: Epidemiological studies have provided information on the prevalence and risk factors of low back pain (LBP) in white collar workers in industrialized countries. Little information has related individual, work ergonomic, and psychosocial factors to the incidence of LBP in low income countries.