Epidemiology of Low- Back Pain and its Association with Occupational and Personal Factors among employees of Hamadan Province Industries

Low back pain is a major problem among industrial workers. A major part of the work-related injuries is involvement of musculoskeletal system for which about 60% is related to back pain. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of low back pain and its association with work- and personal-related factors among workers of Hamadan province industries. For this descriptive analytical study, 400 workers were selected by systematic random sampling method. Data were collected using NORDIC and International Physical Activity questionnaire (IPAQ) questionnaires. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods and chi-square test using SPSS software. Our results showed that the average age, job tenure, and working hours per week of the subjects were, 34.85 years, 5.76 years, and 52.96 hours, respectively. 69.2, 19.2, and 11.6% of the subjects had respectively high, medium, and low physical activity levels. The prevalence of low back pain was 57.1 %. There were significant relationships between LBP and job tenure (p=0.000), working hours per week (p=0.000), and level of physical activity (p=0.000). Prevalence of LPB was high (57.1%) despite the low job tenure and low age of the workers. Decreasing working hours per week, avoiding workers to do heavy physical activities, and limiting manual handling may improve work conditions and decrease the rate of back pain and prevent the risk of low back pain in the workplace.