OCCUPATION AND RISK FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF LOW-BACK-PAIN (LBP) IN DANISH EMPLOYEES

Using data from a nation-wide cross-sectional survey in 1990 a study e xamining the risk for occurrence of LBP in various specific occupation s was made among 5,185 Danish employees aged 19-59 years old. After ad justing for the confounding effects of age and gender we found signifi cantly increased risks of LBP in three out of nine major occupational categories. They were 'health care and social work' (OR=1.52, 95% CI=1 .28-1.80), 'mining, quarrying and construction work' (OR=1.97, 95% CI= 1.41-2.74) and 'manufacturing and machine operation work' (OR=1.21, 95 % CI=1.05-1.40). Among 39 second-level occupational categories the hig hest risks were observed among persons employed in 'building construct ion work' (OR=1.97, 95% CI=1.41-2.74), 'social work, child day care wo rk and psychological work' (OR=1.64, 95% CI=1.32-2.05). Skilled and un skilled manual workers had an increased risk of LBP.