Associations of objectively measured forward bending at work with low-back pain intensity: a 2-year follow-up of construction and healthcare workers

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to determine possible associations between objectively measured forward bending at work (FBW) and low-back pain intensity (LBPi) among Norwegian construction and healthcare workers.

Methods

One-hundred and twenty-five workers wore two accelerometers for 3–4 consecutive days, during work and leisure to establish duration of ≥30° and ≥60° forward bending. The participating workers reported LBPi (0–3) at the time of objective measurements and after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. We investigated associations using linear mixed models with significance level p≤0.05 and presented results per 100 min.

Results

The duration of ≥30° and ≥60° FBW was not associated with average LBPi during follow-up, neither for the total sample nor stratified on work sector. Furthermore, analyses on all workers and on construction workers only found no significant association between ≥30° or ≥60° FBW and change in LBPi over the 2-year follow-up. For healthcare workers we found a consistent significant association between the duration of ≥30° FBW at baseline and the change in LBPi during follow-up, but this was not found for ≥60° FBW.

Conclusions

This study suggests that objectively measured duration of FBW in minutes is not associated with average levels of, or change in LBPi in construction workers over a 2-year period. In healthcare workers, exposure to ≥30° FBW was associated with change in LBPi, while we did not find this for ≥60° FBW. Results may indicate that the associations between FWB and LBP vary depending on type of work tasks, gender or sector-specific factors.