Work-related physical factors and low back pain among policemen in Kelantan: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Pain that occurs between the costal margins of the 12^th rib and the gluteal folds or the 1^st lumbar vertebra to the 1^st sacral vertebra was defined as low back pain. Work-related physical factors are the main cause that can lead to LBP. Policemen or active-duty officers commonly reported having low back pain due to their strenuous activities. This study used the cross-sectional design where 101 participants that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria had to complete a set of questionnaires that includes the sociodemographic form, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Less than 20% of the policemen suffer from LBP (18%). The associations between LBP and sociodemographic characteristics were not statistically significant. However, strong associations between gender, age, marital status, educational level, ranks, duration of work per week and break time with LBP were found. Moderate associations were also found between body mass index, duration of employment, and income classification with low back pain. Abundance of risk factors was closely related to the prevalence of LBP. Thorough interventions to reduce low back pain and encourage preventative measure for LBP is required to minimize LBP prevalence.