Model for the work-relatedness of low-back pain

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed at developing a model for determining the work-relatedness of low-back pain for a worker with low-back pain using both a personal exposure profile for well-established risk factors and the probability of low-back pain if the worker were unexposed to these factors. Methods After a systematic review of the literature, the pooled prevalence of low-back pain in an unexposed population and the pooled odds ratio (OR) for each risk factor was calculated in a meta-analysis using a random effect model. An unbiased risk estimate for each risk factor was obtained by correcting the pooled OR for confounding by other risk factors. The probability of low-back pain was calculated with a logistic regression model. The input was (i) the age-dependent prevalence when not exposed and (ii) the unbiased risk estimates per risk factor of low and high exposure. The etiologic fraction was calculated to determine the level of workrelatedness. Results The pooled prevalence for low-back pain among unexposed subjects was 22%, 30%, and 34% for the <35-year, 35-to-45-year, and >45-year age categories, respectively. The pooled OR was 1.51 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.31-1.74] for manual materials handling, 1.68 (95% CI 1.41-2.01) for frequent bending or twisting, 1.39 (95% CI 1.24-1.55) for whole-body vibration, and 1.30 (1.17-1.45) for job dissatisfaction. For high exposure to manual materials handling, frequent bending or twisting, and whole-body vibration, the pooled OR was 1.92, 1.93, and 1.63, respectively. Conclusions The model is the first that estimates the probability of work-relatedness for low-back pain for a given worker with low-back pain seen by a general practitioner or an occupational health physician.

Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Korean Physical Therapists

“…Those with WRMD were asked about 17 occupational elements used in prior studies 15,17,18) . A four-level Likert scale (1: irrelevant, 4: significant meaning) was used to determine the significance of occupational elements in WRMD occurrence.…”

Whole-Body Vibration in Farming: Background Document for Creating a Simplified Procedure to Determine Agricultural Tractor Vibration Comfort

“…With reference to the systems, criteria and diagnostic tools used to recognize LBPD, Lötters [26] aimed to develop a model for determining the work-relatedness of lower back pain for workers with these symptoms, using both personal exposure profiles for well-established risk factors and the probability of lower back pain in the event of no exposure to such factors. To provide information on the level of work-relatedness of LBP, he developed a model based on the epidemiologic information available in the literature.…”

“…In the Netherlands, since 2005, a rather different system based on the results of Lötters [26] has been used to evaluate the presence of a causal link between working operations and LBP in the event of non-specific lower back pain. As previously described, this probability model is designed as a three-step plan.…”

Inter-rater reliability of a video-analysis method measuring low-back load in a field situation

“…during lifting, pushing and pulling of objects or working in awkward body positions) are associated with low-back pain (LBP; e.g., Marras et al, 2010;van Dieën et al, 1999). These associations have often been confirmed in epidemiological studies using self-reported exposures or field observations (da Costa and Vieira, 2010;Griffith et al, 2012;Lötters et al, 2003). However, other epidemiological studies did not find support for the association between high low-back loads and LBP, possibly as a result of the lack of appropriate measurement designs (Bakker et al, 2009).…”