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Chronic low back pain among tobacco farmers in southern Brazil.
- Source :
-
International journal of occupational and environmental health [Int J Occup Environ Health] 2015; Vol. 21 (1), pp. 66-73. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Background: Despite tobacco farming involving intensive manual labor, chronic low back pain (CLBP) prevalence and associated factors are unknown among this occupational group.<br />Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in southern Brazil. A random sample of tobacco farmers was interviewed. Socioeconomic and individual characteristics, occupational tasks, workloads, and comorbidities were investigated. Chronic low back pain prevalence was described in relation to independent variables, and associations were examined with Poisson regression.<br />Results: Chronic low back pain prevalence was 8·4%. Increasing age, rearing two or more species of livestock (PR 1·65), exposure to tasks that require heavy physical exertion (PR 2·00), working in awkward postures (PR 1·36), green tobacco sickness (GTS) (PR 1·63), pesticide poisoning (PR 2·37), and minor psychiatric disorders (PR 2·55) were associated with CLBP.<br />Conclusions: This study found that CLBP is a relevant health problem among tobacco farmers and highlights understudied risk factors such as pesticide poisoning and GTS. Policies to minimize exposure to physiological and chemical workloads in tobacco planting to prevent CLBP are needed. Health professionals should be trained to diagnose and prevent acute low back pain episodes and thus prevent/minimize limitations and disabilities due to CLBP.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Aged
Agricultural Workers' Diseases etiology
Brazil epidemiology
Chronic Pain etiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Farmers
Female
Humans
Low Back Pain etiology
Male
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Nicotiana
Young Adult
Agricultural Workers' Diseases epidemiology
Chronic Pain epidemiology
Low Back Pain epidemiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2049-3967
- Volume :
- 21
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- International journal of occupational and environmental health
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 25633930
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1179/2049396714Y.0000000094