Stressful psychosocial work environment increases risk for back pain among retail material handlers
✍ Scribed by Janet M. Johnston; Douglas P. Landsittel; Nancy A. Nelson; Lytt I. Gardner; James T. Wassell
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2003
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 113 KB
- Volume
- 43
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0271-3586
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Background
Back pain is a major source of lost work time. Occupational physical activity only accounts for a fraction of low back pain; therefore, there is growing interest in investigating other possible causes of back pain including the psychosocial work environment.
Methods
Material handlers (N = 6,311) in 160 newly opened stores were interviewed at study entry and approximately 6 months later. Factor analysis was used to reduce the 37 psychosocial questionnaire items to seven distinct factors.
Results
After adjusting for history of back problems and work‐related lifting, risk of back pain was moderately increased among employees who reported high job intensity demands (odds ratio (OR) = 1.8), job dissatisfaction (OR = 1.7), and high job scheduling demands (OR = 1.6).
Conclusions
Modification of the psychosocial work environment for material handlers in large retail stores may help reduce back pain among employees. Am. J. Ind. Med. 43: 179–187, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.