Nonspecific low back pain in sedentary workers: A narrative review (original) (raw)
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Low back pain and its relationship with sitting behaviour among sedentary office workers
Applied Ergonomics
The relationships between sedentary lifestyle, sitting behaviour, and low back pain (LBP) remain controversial. In this study, we investigated the relationship between back pain and occupational sitting habits in 64 call-centre employees. A textile pressure mat was used to evaluate and parameterise sitting behaviour over a total of 400 h, while pain questionnaires evaluated acute and chronic LBP. Seventy-five percent of the participants reported some level of either chronic or acute back pain. Individuals with chronic LBP demonstrated a possible trend (t-test not significant) towards more static sitting behaviour compared to their pain-free counterparts. Furthermore, a greater association was found between sitting behaviour and chronic LBP than for acute pain/disability, which is plausibly due to a greater awareness of pain-free sitting positions in individuals with chronic pain compared to those affected by acute pain.
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.
Frontiers in Public Health
Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between levels of sedentary behavior, physical activity, and back pain and their psychosocial correlates among university employees. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on both academic and non-academic professional staff at Qatar University. The data collection instrument was a combination of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) and the Acute Low Back Pain Screening Questionnaire (ALBPSQ). Results: A total of 479 individuals (57% females) participated in the cross-sectional study. Two hundred and ninety three (61.2%) reported to have experienced back pain. The covariates adjusted odds ratios (aORs) showed that vigorous physical activity was a protective variable for those who experienced lower back pain [aOR = 0.84, 95%CI (0.56-0.98)], both lower and upper back pain [aOR = 0.61, 95% CI (0.33-0.87)] and either lower or upper back pain [aOR = 0.76, 95%CI (0.51-0.85)], respectively. Back pain was significantly higher in females than males (aORs: 1.37-2.21). Similarly, sedentary behavior (too much sitting) was significantly associated with those who experienced either LBP or UBP [aOR = 1.74, 95% CI (1.19, 2.57)]. All back pain categories were found to be significantly associated with those who reported a depressed mood. Conclusions: These findings suggest that sedentary employees are exposed to increasing occupational hazards such as back pain and mental health issues. Strategies should aim to reduce sitting time with planned and feasible physical activity interventions to be incorporated into the workplace health promotion policy to help prevent back pain, back injuries, and mental health complications.
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.
Incidence of low back pain according to physical activity level in hospital workers
Revista Dor, 2017
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hospitals integrate several risks posed by physical, chemical, psychosocial and ergonomic factors, which may be noxious for different healthcare professionals. This study aimed at evaluating the level of physical activity, the presence of musculoskeletal risk factors and the incidence of low back pain among nursing professionals of a hospital Materials and Sterilization Center. METHODS: Sample was made up of 56 individuals of both genders, working for the Associação Beneficente de Campo Grande/MS-Hospital Santa Casa. Participants were divided in two groups: G1 (insufficiently active, n=27) and G2 (sufficiently active, n=29). In addition to the level of physical activity, anthropometric data, incidence of pain and functional incapacity, flexibility and muscle resistance were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence of low back pain was lower in G2 (13 cases; 44.8%) as compared to G1 (24 cases; 88.9%). Body mass index, pain intensity and functional incapacity index were lower for G2. Time of physical activity was lower in G1. Abdominal muscles resistance was higher in G2. CONCLUSION: In nursing professionals, the level of physical activity influences the presence of low back pain, pain intensity and functional incapacity index.
https://www.ijhsr.org/IJHSR\_Vol.8\_Issue.10\_Oct2018/IJHSR\_Abstract.020.html, 2018
Low back pain is one of the most commonly experienced musculoskeletal disorders in recent times. Sitting and standing occupations require individuals to remain in static postures for longer durations which may lead to discomfort in their lower back. It may interfere with an individual's quality of life and performance at work. The primary focus of this study is to find out if there is an association between sitting and standing working postures and low back pain. Method: A cross sectional survey was carried out among working professionals having occupations which required predominant sitting or standing in the age group of 30-60 years using a pre-validated self-administered questionnaire. 100 individuals were invited in the study out of which 50 individuals had working postures that involved sitting whereas 50 individuals had standing working postures. Result: 76% of individuals with sitting occupation and 70% of individuals with standing occupations experience low back pain. 63.15% of individuals with sitting occupations and 60% of individuals with standing occupations feel that improper ergonomics might be one of the causes of their low back pain. Conclusion: Data analysis concluded that low back pain was more prevalent in individuals with sitting working postures than standing. The percentile difference between both the groups was 6%; it can be noted that prolonged sitting and standing both have adverse effects which may result in complaints of low back pain.
Sport Sciences for Health
Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between objectively measured sitting time, posture, and low back pain (LBP) in adults with full-time (≥ 40 h/week) sedentary "desk" jobs. Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) between work environments (home vs. office) were also compared during COVID-19. Methods Participants (N = 53; M age = 41 ± 12years) were full-time employees in sedentary jobs during COVID-19. A survey with demographic, work environment, and LBP questions was completed; Thomas Test assessed poor hip posture. ActivPAL devices were worn for ≥ 4 valid days (≥ 10 h/d) to assess waking sitting time (min/d). Binomial logistic regressions examined sitting as a predictor of poor posture and LBP; ANOVAs compared PA and SB between work environments. Results Objectively measured sitting (min/day) predicted poor hip posture (β = − 0.01, p < 0.046) but was not significant for LBP (β = 0.002, p < 0.43). Participants who worked from home had significantly higher sitting time (569 ± 111 vs. 477 ± 46 min/d; p < 0.04), higher muscle strengthening PA (2.2 ± 2 vs. 0.5 ± 1.2d/week p < 0.02), but no difference in aerobic PA (p < 0.15), than those who worked from an office. Conclusion Given the shift to remote work during COVID-19, employees are at high risk for postural compensations that lead to LBP due to high SB and poor work ergonomics at home. There is a need to develop home-based behavioral and exercise interventions to reduce sitting, help improve posture, and invest in proper ergonomic homework equipment.
2019
Chronic low back pain is a common and preventable complain among workers. Large amount of financial and benefit cost has been spent by the developed countries to prevent, treat and rehabilitate a large number of workers that are exposed to hazards attributing to low back pain. Efforts on primary prevention of low back pain has been challenging due to difficulties in affirming work- relatedness of chronic back pain among workers. As such, efforts have to be focused on the existing literatures to propose acceptable variables to define work- relatedness specific to occupational low back pain. Evidences suggest twisting, frequent manual lifting of objects, duration of daily exposure, coping mechanism towards the pain, body mass index (BMI), smoking status and physical activity are associated with occupational back pain. However, further research efforts are needed to establish stronger evidence and improve the occupational safety and health of our workers that are exposed to all these h...
Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, 2017
Objectives Low-back pain (LBP) is a substantial health challenge due to the risk for long-term sickness absence and early retirement. Several biomechanical exposures at work, including sitting, have been suggested to increase the risk for LBP. The objectives of this study were to determine (i) the extent to which temporal patterns and total amount of objectively measured sitting is associated with LBP intensity and (ii) whether selected modifiers influence these associations. Methods This cross sectional study uses baseline data from the Danish PHysical ACTivity cohort with Objective measurements (DPhacto) of physical activities in the cleaning, transport and manufacturing sectors. Peak intensity of LBP was collected by questionnaire on a 0-10 scale and sitting was expressed in terms of total duration and temporal pattern, ie, time spent in brief bursts (≤5 minutes), moderate periods (>5-≤20 minutes), and prolonged periods of sitting (>20 minutes); both during work and whole d...