Cb. Thorbjornsson et al., Physical and psychosocial factors related to low back pain during a 24-year period - A nested case-control analysis, SPINE, 25(3), 2000, pp. 369-374
Study Design. A retrospective nested case-control study.
Objectives. To identify occupational factors related to low back pain, and
to study how interactions between psychosocial and physical factors, and be
tween work-related and leisure-related factors affect low back pain in wome
n and men.
Summary of Background Data. A cohort of 484 subjects drawn from the general
population was examined in 1969 and 1993, with a focus on occupational wor
king conditions and musculoskeletal disorders.
Methods. Information about the physical and psychosocial working conditions
and low back pain during the period 1970 to 1993 was collected retrospecti
vely. Odds ratios and confidence intervals were calculated for different po
tential risk factors.
Results. During the 24-year period, 46% of the subjects became patients wit
h low back pain. Among women, heavy physical workload, sedentary work, smok
ing, and the combination of whole-body vibrations and low influence over wo
rk conditions were associated with an excess risk of low back pain. Among m
en, excess risk for low back pain was seen in heavy physical workload, sede
ntary work, high perceived load outside work, and the combination of poor s
ocial relations and overtime.
Conclusions. Factors at work were seen to be risk indicators for low back p
ain among both genders. Low influence over work conditions among women and
poor social relations at work among men, in combination with other factors,
seem to be of high relevance for the occurrence of low back pain.