Low back pain among workers in a paint factory

Abstract

Background: Back pain is common among factory workers and is responsible for about 25% of workers' compensation cases. However, data on back pain among workers from paint industry in Saudi Arabia are limited. Objectives: The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of low back pain and to evaluate the associated risk factors among workers of a paint factory. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study used a self-administered questionnaire to elicit data regarding demography, job characteristics and prevalence of low back pain in the past 12 months among workers of a paint factory (n = 102) in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. In addition, a scale of low back pain risk was generated for each department by occupational health professionals using interviews and observations. Results: The annual prevalence of low back pain was 44.1%, and it was more common among Saudi workers (67.9%) compared with non-Saudi workers (35.1%). Multivariate analysis indicated significant associations between low back pain and nationality (relative risk [RR] = 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29-2.88), smoking (RR = 1.85; 95% CI = 1.20-2.83) and aerobic exercise (RR = 2.37; 95% CI = 1.19-4.71). Spearman rank correlation showed correlation between the symptom pain scale and smoking (r[sub]s = 0.259; P = 0.008), and exercise was associated with lower pain scale scores (r[sub]s= −0.241, P = 0.015).