A Geo-Medical Study of Low Back Pain Associated With Risk Factors Reported among Female School Teachers of Srinagar District, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Abstract

Low Back Pain (LBP) is considered one of the most frequently reported causes of visits to healthcare establishments. In India, the prevalence of LBP is alarming with approximately 60% of people suffering from LBP. It has been observed that most people have experienced back discomfort at least once in their lives. Globally, LBP features amongst work-related disorders as a frequently prevailing issue in occupational settings. In the Indian scenario, the prevalence of LBP is generally found to be gender-specific. Females are reported to suffer more from LBP than males in the same working environment. Recent research suggests that school teachers exhibit a higher prevalence of LBP issues. Therefore, the present study focuses on enquiring about the occurrence of LBP and understanding the associated risk factors among female teachers. Simple random sampling is used to identify schools in 5 urban units of the Srinagar district. Binary logistic regression is employed to identify the risk factors, both at the workplace and at home. Married females (58.33 %) complained of LBP more than unmarried ones. At the workplace, prolonged standing (40%) was the most common self-reported risk factor for LBP. In general, prolonged standing, teaching hours, and mental health were found to be the three statistically significant risk factors contributing to LBP at the workplace. Amongst all the activities at home, domestic chores carried out by females (married and unmarried both) were the highest self-reported risk factor (78%), married women at 82.14% and unmarried women at 75.9%. The same was found statistically significant along with the additional factor being professional work done at home. The study establishes the need for a comprehensive strategy and preventive interventions in lowering the prevalence of LBP disability, especially among teachers, given the immense role they play in shaping our society.