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Abe Y1, Goh AC2
1Nagano University of Health and Medicine, Nagano, Japan, 2Iwaki Meisei University, Iwaki, Japan
Background: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common work-related injuries experienced by physical therapists (PTs) in Japan (55% to 69%) with 46% experiencing decreased work performance due to LBP. Similar incidence rates have also been reported in USA (29% to 62%) with 8% being unable to continue working, and another 26% unable to perform leisure or activities of daily living. In Australia, about 63% of LBP injuries were reported in PT students. In our previous study, we investigated the incidence of LBP in PT students, as well as examined the relationship between incidence and length of course exposure. Our results showed that gender and length of study was not a factor in the incidence of LBP in PT students. On the other hand, it has been reported that initial onset of work-related low back pain occurred after graduation within the first four years of experience as a PT, between the ages of 21 and 30 years. Most of these injuries occurred during treatment of patients during heavy lifting, bending and twisting. Since these maneuvers involve trunk, as well as lower and upper limb muscle strength, it may be possible that females could be more susceptible than males to such injuries. However, from the literature, it is unknown if gender is a factor in the incidence and severity of work-related back injuries in PTs.
Purpose: The aim of this study was investigate the influence of gender on incidence and severity of pain in work related back injury among newly graduated PTs.
Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on all PTs (n=38; males 26, females 12) who graduated after one year from a university in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Informed consent was obtained prior to administering the questionnaire. Subjects were asked to retrospectively answer the questions related to low back injuries over the past one year since graduation. Incidence was reported as percentages, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the difference between males and females for incidence and severity of low back pain using IBM SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York). The level of significance was set at P 0.05.
Results: A total of 29 PTs (males 18, females 11) replied to the survey, and this represented a response rate of 76%. Sixty-two percent reported having low back pain in the past one year since graduation (males 50%, females 81%). However, there was no significant difference between males and females in the reported incidence (p=0.09) and severity (p=0.10) of low back pain.
Conclusion(s): Gender had no effect on the incidence and severity of low back pain reported in PTs who graduated after one year. However, due to the small sample size, a type II error occurring could not be discounted.
Implications: Incidence and severity of low back pain may not be related to gender and therefore, other factors may be involved and this should be identified in future studies in order to prevent work related low back pain.
Keywords: Work-related low back pain, gender, severity
Funding acknowledgements: Nil
Purpose: The aim of this study was investigate the influence of gender on incidence and severity of pain in work related back injury among newly graduated PTs.
Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on all PTs (n=38; males 26, females 12) who graduated after one year from a university in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Informed consent was obtained prior to administering the questionnaire. Subjects were asked to retrospectively answer the questions related to low back injuries over the past one year since graduation. Incidence was reported as percentages, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the difference between males and females for incidence and severity of low back pain using IBM SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York). The level of significance was set at P 0.05.
Results: A total of 29 PTs (males 18, females 11) replied to the survey, and this represented a response rate of 76%. Sixty-two percent reported having low back pain in the past one year since graduation (males 50%, females 81%). However, there was no significant difference between males and females in the reported incidence (p=0.09) and severity (p=0.10) of low back pain.
Conclusion(s): Gender had no effect on the incidence and severity of low back pain reported in PTs who graduated after one year. However, due to the small sample size, a type II error occurring could not be discounted.
Implications: Incidence and severity of low back pain may not be related to gender and therefore, other factors may be involved and this should be identified in future studies in order to prevent work related low back pain.
Keywords: Work-related low back pain, gender, severity
Funding acknowledgements: Nil
Topic: Musculoskeletal: spine; Pain & pain management
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Nagano University of Health and Medicine
Ethics committee: The ethics committee of Nagano University of Health and Medicine
Ethics number: 2016-5
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
