The Association between Low Back Pain and Fatigue among Commercial Drivers

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association between low back pain and fatigue among commercial drivers. Methods: A self-selected group of 90 current commercial drivers from 3 locations participated in an anonymous survey. Low back pain was assessed by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Fatigue was measured by the Brief Fatigue Inventory. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to quantify the association between LBP and fatigue. Results: MLR showed that increased level of low back pain is a significant predictor of increased fatigue when adjusted for age, gender, BMI, job satisfaction, years and miles driven (p<0.001). Conclusion: These results confirm the existence of a significant association between back pain and fatigue in this population. This suggests that addressing the causes of back pain among drivers could reduce their level of fatigue and thereby promote improved highway safety.