Abstract
Very few studies have evaluated the association between occupational factors and low back pain (LBP) among miners. The epidemiological data on LBP in Chinese miners are limited. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of low back pain in Chinese coal miners and to investigate the role of occupational factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine 1573 coal miners in northern China. The prevalence of LBP over a 12-month period was assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Odds ratios were calculated to examine the association between the prevalence of LBP over a 12-month period and occupational factors using logistic regression. Among the coal miners, 64.9% self-reported LBP in a 12-month period. Occupational factors associated with LBP were identified, including tasks with a high degree of repetitiveness (OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.0-1.6), tasks characterized by a high level of physical demand (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8), posture requiring extreme bending (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-1.7) and insufficient recovery time (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-1.8). Low back pain is common among Chinese miners. There were strong associations with occupational factors.
Highlights
Very few studies have evaluated the association between occupational factors and low back pain (LBP) among miners
LBP has been reported to be a common reason for absenteeism in the coal mining industry and for high health care costs [2,3,4,5,6,7], epidemiological data on LBP in Chinese miners are limited
LBP was associated with tasks characterized by a high degree of repetitiveness, tasks characterized by a high level of physical demand (OR1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8), posture characterized by extreme bending, and insufficient recovery time
Summary
Very few studies have evaluated the association between occupational factors and low back pain (LBP) among miners. The epidemiological data on LBP in Chinese miners are limited. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of low back pain in Chinese coal miners and to investigate the role of occupational factors. LBP has been reported to be a common reason for absenteeism in the coal mining industry and for high health care costs [2,3,4,5,6,7], epidemiological data on LBP in Chinese miners are limited. The study associated moisture, ventilation and trauma with LBP among these miners [8], which suggests a potential role of occupational factors in the aetiology of back pain. We assessed the prevalence of LBP among Chinese coal miners and investigated the role of
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