Lower back problems and occupational risk factors in a South African steel industry

American Journal of Industrial Medicine

Volumn 47, Issue 5, 2005, Pages 451-457

  Van Vuuren, Bernard J ^a,b   Becker, Piet J ^c,d   Van Heerden, Hendrik J ^a   Zinzen, Evert ^b   Meeusen, Romain ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA   (South Africa)

^b VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL   (Belgium)

^c SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL   (South Africa)

^d UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA   (South Africa)

Author keywords

Back pain; Ergonomics; Industrial; Occupational; Risk factors; South Africa; Steel workers

Indexed keywords

ADULT; ARTICLE; BENDING; BODY POSTURE; ERGONOMICS; HUMAN; INCIDENCE; IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY; JOINT FUNCTION; LOW BACK PAIN; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; MULTIVARIATE LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSIS; OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE; OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD; OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH; QUESTIONNAIRE; RATING SCALE; RISK ASSESSMENT; SELF REPORT; SITTING; SOUTH AFRICA; SQUATTING; TWISTING; WEIGHT BEARING; WORK ENVIRONMENT;

ADULT; BIOMECHANICS; CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES; HUMANS; LIFTING; LOGISTIC MODELS; LOW BACK PAIN; METALLURGY; MIDDLE AGED; OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES; OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE; POSTURE; PREVALENCE; QUESTIONNAIRES; RISK FACTORS; SOUTH AFRICA; STEEL; WEIGHT-BEARING; WORKLOAD;

EID: 18244381022     PISSN: 02713586     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20164     Document Type: Article

References (53)

1. Adams MA, Hutton WC. 1988. Mechanics of the intervertebral disc. In: Ghosh P, editor. The biology of the intervertebral disc. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
2. Biering-Sorensen F. 1982. Low back trouble in a general population of 30- 40-, 50-year old males and females: Study design, representativeness and basic results. Dan Med Bull 29:289-299.
3. Bigos SJ, Battie MC, Spengler DM, Fisher LD, Fordyce WE, Hansson TH, Nachemson AL, Zeh J. 1992. A longitudinal, prospective study of industrial back injury reporting. Clin Orthop 279:21-34.
4. Burdorf A, Sorock G. 1997. Positive and negative evidence of risk factors for back disorders. Scand J Work Environ Health 23(4):243-256.
5. Burdorf A, Govaert G, Elders L. 1991. Postural load and back pain of workers in the manufacturing of prefabricated concrete elements. Ergonomics 34(7):909-918.
6. Davis KG, Heaney CA. 2000. The relationship between psychosocial work characteristics and low back pain: Underlying methodological issues. Clin Biomech 15:389-406.
7. Erkintalo M, Salminen J, Alanen A, Paajanen H, Kormano M. 1995. Development of degenerative changes in the lumbar intervertebral disk: Results of a prospective MR imaging study in adolescents with and without low-back pain. Radiology 196:529-533.
8. Feise RJ, Menke JM. 2001. Functional rating index. A new valid and reliable instrument to measure the magnitude of clinical change in spinal conditions. Spine 26(1):78-87.
9. Frymoyer JW, Cats-Baril WL. 1991. An overview of the incidences and costs of low back pain. Orthoped Clin N Am 22:263-271.
10. Grimes DA, Schulz KF. 2002. An overview of clinical research: The lay of the land. Lancet 359:57-61.
11. Grimmer K, Williams M. 2000. Gender-age environmental associates of adolescent low back pain. Appl Ergon 31(4):343-360.
12. Halpern M, Hiebert R, Nordin M, Goldheyden D, Crane M. 2001. The test-retest reliability of a new occupational risk factor questionnaire for outcome studies. Appl Ergon 32(1):39-46.
13. Harkness EF, Macfarlane GJ, Nahit ES, Silman AJ, McBeth J. 2003. Risk factors for new-onset low back pain amongst cohorts of newly employed workers. Rheumatology 42:959-968.
14. Hildebrandt VH. 1995. Back pain in the working population: Prevalence rates in Dutch trades and professions. Ergonomics 38(6):1283-1298.
15. Holmström EB, Lindell J, Moritz U. 1992. Low back and neck/shoulder pain in construction workers: occupational work-load and psychosocial risk factors. Spine 17(6):663-671.
16. Hoogendoorn WE, van Poppel MNM, Koes BW, Bouter LM. 1999. Physical load during work and leisure time as risk factors for back pain. Scand J Work Environ Health 25(5):387-403.
17. Hoogendoorn WE, Bongers PM, de Vet HCW, Douwes M, Koes BW, Miedema MC, Ariens GAM, Bouter LM. 2000. Flexion and rotation of the trunk and lifting at work are risk factors for low back pain. Results of a prospective cohort study. Spine 25(23):3078-3092.
18. Hoozemans MJM, Van der Beek AJ, Frings-Dresen MHW, Van Dijk FJH, Van der Woude LHV. 1998. Pushing and pulling in relation to musculoskeletal disorders: A review of risk factors. Ergonomics XX(41):757-781.
19. Kahanovitz N. 1991. Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain. New York: Raven Press, p 133-136.
20. Kelsey JL, Githens PB, White AA, Holford TR, Walter SD, O'Connor T, Ostfeld AM, Weil U, Southwick WO, Calogero JA. 1984. An epidemiologic study of lifting and twisting on the job and risk for acute prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc. J Orthop Res 2(1):61-66.
21. Kjellberg A, Eikström BO, Landström U. 1994. Injuries and other adverse effects of occupational exposure to whole- body vibration. A review for criteria documentation. Arb Hälsa 41.
22. Kraus JF, Gardner L, Collins J, Sorock G, Volinn E. 1997. Design factors in epidemiological cohort studies of work-related low back injury or pain. Am J Ind Med 32:153-163.
23. Kuiper JI, Burdorf A, Verbeek JHAM, Frings-Dresen MHW, Van der Beek AJ, Viikari-Juntura E. 1999. Epidemiological evidence on manual materials handling as a risk factor for back disorders: A systematic review. Int J Ind Ergon 24:389-404.
24. Lee P, Helewa A, Goldsmith CH, Smythe HA, Stitt LW. 2001. Low back pain: Prevalence and risk factors in an industrial setting. J Rheumatol 28(2):346-351.
25. Lings S, Leboeuf-Yde C. 2000. Whole-body vibration and low back pain: A systematic, critical review of the epidemiological literature 1992-1999. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 73:290-297.
26. Maniadakis N, Gray A. 2000. The economic burden of back pain in the UK. Pain 84:95-103.
27. Marras WS. 2001. Spine biomechanics, government regulation, and prevention of occupational low back pain. Editorial. Spine J 1(3):163-165.
28. Marras W, Lavender S, Leurgans S, Rajulu SL, Allread WG, Fathallah FA, Ferguson SA. 1993. The role of three-dimensional trunk motion in occupationally-related low back disorders: The effects of work-place factors, trunk position, and trunk motion characteristics on risk of injury. Spine 18(5):617-628.
29. Marras WS, Davis KG, Granata KP. 1998. Trunk muscle activities during asymmetric twisting motions. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 8(4):247-256.
30. Marras WS, Davis KG, Jorgensen M. 2003. Gender influences on spine loads during complex lifting. Spine J 3(2):93-99.
31. Masset D, Malchaire J. 1994. Low back pain: Epidemiologic aspects and workrelated factors in the steel industry. Spine 19(2):143-146.
32. McGill S. 2002. Low back disorders. Evidence-based prevention and rehabilitation. Human Kinetics, Champaign. See pages 113-124;161-184.
33. McGill SM, Brown S. 1992. Creep response of the lumbar spine to prolonged lumbar flexion. CHn Biomech 7:43.
34. McKenzie RA. 1979. Prophylaxis in recurrent low back pain. N Z Med J 89:22.
35. National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine. 2001. Musculoskeletal disorders and the workplace: low back and upper extremities. Panel on musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. Commission on behavioral and social sciences and education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, p 83-183.
36. NIOSH. 1997. Executive summary/Chapter 6: Low back and musculoskeletal disorders: Evidence for work-relatedness. In: Bernard BP, editor. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and workplace factors/ TOC. Cincinnati, OH: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
37. Punnett L, Fine LJ, Keyserling WM, Herrin GD, Chaffin DB. 1991. Back disorders and nonneutral trunk postures of automobile assembly workers. Scand J Work Environ Health 17(5):337-346.
38. Quittan M. 2002. Management of back pain. Disabil Rehabil 24(8):423-434.
39. Reynolds KL, Kaszuba J, Mello RP, Patton JF. 1990. Prolonged treadmill load carriage: acute injuries and changes in foot anthropometry. Technical Report T1/91. Natick MA: US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine.
40. Schierhout GH, Myers JE, Bridger RS. 1993. Musculoskeletal pain and workplace ergonomic stressors in manufacturing industry in South Africa. Int J Ind Ergon 12:3-11.
41. Scovron ML, Szalski M, Nordin M, Melot C, Cucier D. 1994. Socio-economic factors and back pain. Spine 19:129-137.
42. Snook SH, Ciriello VM. 1991. The design of manual handling tasks: Revised tables of maximum acceptable weights and forces. Ergonmics 34(9):1197-1213.
43. Solomonow M, Baratta RV, Banks A, Freudenberger C, Zhou BH. 2003. Flexion-relaxation response to static lumbar flexion in males and females. Clin Biomech 18(4):273-279.
44. Svensson H, Andersson GBJ. 1989. The relationship of low-back pain, work history and work environment, and stress: A retrospective cross-sectional study of 38- to 64-year old women. Spine 14(5):517-522.
45. Toroptsova NV, Benevolenskaya CI, Karyakin AN, Sergeev IL, Erdesz S. 1995. "Cross-sectional" study of lower back pain among workers at an industrial enterprise in Russia. Spine 20(3):328-332.
46. Van der Burg JCE, van Dieën JH, Toussaint HM. 2000. Lifting an unexpectedly heavy object: The effects on low-back loading and balance loss. Clin Biomech 15(7):469-477.
47. Van Vuuren B, Van Heerden J, Becker P, Zinzen E, Meeusen R. 2003. Lower back problems among workers at two industrial sites in South Africa. Med Sci Sports Exerc 35:S334.
48. Vlaeyen JWS, Linton SJ. 2000. Fear-avoidance and its consequences in chronic musculoskeletal pain: A state of the art. Pain 85:317-332.
49. Volinn E, Spratt KF, Magnusson M, Pope MH. 2001. The Boeing Prospective Study and beyond. Spine 26(14):1613-1622.
50. Vowles KE, Gross RT. 2003. Work-related beliefs about injury and physical capability for work in individuals with chronic pain. Pain 101(3):291-298.
51. Waddell G. 1987. A new clinical model for the treatment of low back pain. Spine 1:632-644.
52. Walsh K, Varnes N, Osmond C, Styles R, Coggin D. 1989. Occupational causes of low back pain. Scand J Work Environ Health 15(1):54-59.
53. Zinzen E. 2002. Epidemiology: Musculoskeletal problems in Belgium nurses. In: Reily T, editor. Musculoskeletal disorders in health-related occupations. Ohmsha: IOS Press, p 41-61.