Workplace psychosocial factors, work organization, and physical exertion as risk factors for low back pain among U.S. workers: Data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey

Taylor Shockey; Toni Alterman; Haiou Yang; Ming-Lun Lu

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000003087

Workplace psychosocial factors, work organization, and physical exertion as risk factors for low back pain among U.S. workers: Data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey

J Occup Environ Med. 2024 Mar 13. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003087. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Taylor Shockey¹, Toni Alterman¹, Haiou Yang², Ming-Lun Lu¹

Affiliations

¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
² University of California - Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA.

PMID: 38471812
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003087

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association between workplace psychosocial, organization, and physical risk factors with low back pain (LBP) among U.S. workers.

Methods: 2015 National Health Interview Survey data was analyzed to calculate prevalences and prevalence ratios for LBP across levels of workplace psychosocial and organizational risk factors among 17,464 U.S. adult workers who worked ≥20 hours/week. Results were also stratified by workplace physical exertion.

Results: The adjusted prevalences of LBP were significantly elevated for workers reporting high job demand, low job control, work-family imbalance, bullying, job insecurity, working alternate shifts, and physical exertion. Job control and nonstandard shifts were significantly associated with LBP only among those who reported low/no physical exertion.

Conclusions: LBP prevalence was associated with select workplace psychosocial and organization risk factors. Stratification by physical exertion modified multiple associations.