Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the risk of developing non-chronic and chronic low back pain (LBP) from frequency, load mass and trunk postures of occupational lifting and carrying among female healthcare workers.
Methods
A total of 9,847 workers in eldercare answered a questionnaire about occupational lifting and carrying frequency (rarely, occasionally and frequently), load mass (low: 1–7 kg, moderate: 8–30 kg and heavy: >30 kg), trunk posture (upright or forward bent back), and days with LBP in 2005. The odds ratio (OR) for developing non-chronic (1–30 days the last 12 months) and chronic (>30 days the last 12 months) LBP reported in 2006 from these characteristics of occupational lifting and carrying was investigated with multi-adjusted logistic regressions among female healthcare workers without LBP in 2005 (n = 1,612).
Results
Frequently lifting and carrying low load mass with forward bent back doubled the risk for developing chronic LBP (OR: 2.14; 95 % CI: 1.02–4.50). Occasionally and frequently lifting or carrying of any load mass with upright back did not increase the risk for chronic LBP. Lifting and carrying did not increase the risk for non-chronic LBP.
Conclusions
Preventive initiatives for LBP among healthcare workers ought to pay attention to frequent lifting and carrying of low load mass with forward bent back.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for this study was provided by a special grant from the Danish Parliament (satspulje). This founding source had no role in the study’s design, the data collection, the analysis, the interpretation of data, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.
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The authors declare that we have no conflict of interest.
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Holtermann, A., Clausen, T., Aust, B. et al. Risk for low back pain from different frequencies, load mass and trunk postures of lifting and carrying among female healthcare workers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 86, 463–470 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-012-0781-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-012-0781-5