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Stressful psychosocial work environment increases risk for back pain among retail material handlers
Author(s) -
Johnston Janet M.,
Landsittel Douglas P.,
Nelson Nancy A.,
Gardner Lytt I.,
Wassell James T.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.10165
Subject(s) - psychosocial , medicine , back pain , low back pain , odds ratio , work (physics) , work environment , back injury , physical therapy , occupational medicine , occupational safety and health , risk factor , environmental health , occupational exposure , psychiatry , alternative medicine , mechanical engineering , pathology , engineering
Background Back pain is a major source of lost work time. Occupational physical activity only accounts for a fraction of low back pain; therefore, there is growing interest in investigating other possible causes of back pain including the psychosocial work environment. Methods Material handlers (N = 6,311) in 160 newly opened stores were interviewed at study entry and approximately 6 months later. Factor analysis was used to reduce the 37 psychosocial questionnaire items to seven distinct factors. Results After adjusting for history of back problems and work‐related lifting, risk of back pain was moderately increased among employees who reported high job intensity demands (odds ratio (OR) = 1.8), job dissatisfaction (OR = 1.7), and high job scheduling demands (OR = 1.6). Conclusions Modification of the psychosocial work environment for material handlers in large retail stores may help reduce back pain among employees. Am. J. Ind. Med. 43: 179–187, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.