TY - JOUR
T1 - Are Irish therapists at heightened risk for low back pain?
AU - Hogan, D. A.M.
AU - O'Sullivan, L. W.
AU - Nolan, S.
AU - Greiner, B. A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author 2016.
PY - 2016/7/1
Y1 - 2016/7/1
N2 - Background Within the international literature, no studies have been identified that compare prevalence rates of low back pain (LBP) in chartered physiotherapists, physical and athletic therapists and those in the national working population, making it unclear whether such therapists are an occupational group at high risk of developing LBP. Aims To establish the prevalence of LBP among therapists (both employed and self-employed) in Ireland, to compare the employment status-, gender- and age-specific LBP prevalence rates between therapists and the national working population and to estimate the adjusted odds of developing LBP among therapists relative to the national working population. Methods An analysis of data from the Health In Hand Intensive Tasks and Safety (HITS) study and the third national Survey on Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLáN). The HITS study was a cross-sectional study investigating work-related musculoskeletal disorders in practising therapists. The SLáN 2007 was a face-to-face interview study of adults. Results LBP prevalence in therapists was 49% with no significant difference by employment status. Therapists had a much higher prevalence compared with the national working population across all demographic strata, with therapists nearly five times more likely to suffer from LBP than the national working population after careful adjustment for differences in sociodemographic factors. Conclusions Therapists in Ireland are an occupational group at high risk of developing LBP, warranting further research into their physical and psychosocial work-related risk factors.
AB - Background Within the international literature, no studies have been identified that compare prevalence rates of low back pain (LBP) in chartered physiotherapists, physical and athletic therapists and those in the national working population, making it unclear whether such therapists are an occupational group at high risk of developing LBP. Aims To establish the prevalence of LBP among therapists (both employed and self-employed) in Ireland, to compare the employment status-, gender- and age-specific LBP prevalence rates between therapists and the national working population and to estimate the adjusted odds of developing LBP among therapists relative to the national working population. Methods An analysis of data from the Health In Hand Intensive Tasks and Safety (HITS) study and the third national Survey on Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLáN). The HITS study was a cross-sectional study investigating work-related musculoskeletal disorders in practising therapists. The SLáN 2007 was a face-to-face interview study of adults. Results LBP prevalence in therapists was 49% with no significant difference by employment status. Therapists had a much higher prevalence compared with the national working population across all demographic strata, with therapists nearly five times more likely to suffer from LBP than the national working population after careful adjustment for differences in sociodemographic factors. Conclusions Therapists in Ireland are an occupational group at high risk of developing LBP, warranting further research into their physical and psychosocial work-related risk factors.
KW - Health care workers
KW - Physiotherapist
KW - Prevalence
KW - Work-related musculoskeletal disorder
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84977103942&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/occmed/kqw020
DO - 10.1093/occmed/kqw020
M3 - Article
C2 - 26968686
AN - SCOPUS:84977103942
SN - 0962-7480
VL - 66
SP - 351
EP - 357
JO - Occupational Medicine
JF - Occupational Medicine
IS - 5
ER -