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Bontrup C1,2, Fliesser M3, Wippert P-M3, Taylor WR2, Visscher R2, Green T3, Dr. Zemp R2
1Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Section of Physiotherapy, Bern, Switzerland, 2ETH Zurich, Institute for Biomechanics, Zurich, Switzerland, 3University of Potsdam, Department of Sociology of Physical Activity and Health, Potsdam, Germany
Background: Rising sedentary behaviour and a growing prevalence of low back pain (LBP) represent an increasing problem in modern society. However, several studies have shown that prolonged sitting itself has no causal relationship with LBP. Therefore, additional aspects of sedentary work, such as individual sitting behaviour, may contribute to the occurrence of LBP.
A previous pilot research study that investigated the relationship between occupational sitting behaviour and LBP indicated that office workers affected by slight LBP showed a more static sitting behaviour compared to pain-free employees.
Purpose: The current study aimed to examine different parameters of sitting behaviour in a larger sample size, including participants with and without LBP using a novel textile pressure mat. The overall objective of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between occupational sitting habits and acute as well as chronic LBP.
Methods: With prior ethics permission, office workers from a German call centre were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study, if they were able to speak German and not under medical treatment for other physical complaints besides back pain. Seventy participants provided written informed consent prior to the study. Their sitting behaviour was measured for an entire working day using a textile pressure mat “sensomative science” (sensomative GmbH, Rothenburg, Switzerland), connected to a corresponding mobile phone application on which pressure data were stored. Working tasks were standardised: they comprised typing at the computer and calling clients by telephone, using a head-set. Information about short and long-term pain status, as well as corresponding functional limitations, was gathered using two validated questionnaires “the German Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)” and the “Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire (CPG)”. The BPI was used to identify participants with acute pain (within the last 24h) and the CPG to identify those with chronic pain (in the last three months). Data were analysed using two-tailed independent t-tests to detect differences between participants indicating pain and pain-free participants.
Results: The data from 64 participants (40 Female; mean age 43±13 years) were analysed. One participant withdrew from the study and data of five participants were excluded due to technical reasons. Findings demonstrated that office workers suffering from chronic LBP showed a statistically significant (p 0.05) less dynamic sitting behaviour compared to pain-free employees. Office workers affected by acute LBP showed a slightly more static sitting behaviour compared to their pain-free counterparts although this was not statistically significant.
Conclusion(s): This study showed a trend of association between sitting behaviour and chronic LBP among sedentary call centre workers but not in office workers with acute LBP. Future studies are needed with larger sample sizes and different office environments to substantiate these findings.
Implications: Our results demonstrated that individual occupational sitting behaviour might be a contributing factor in developing or maintaining chronic LBP. Promoting dynamic sitting habits may have a beneficial impact in the prevention and management of chronic LBP. Considering the multi-factorial nature of LBP, this remains to be verified in future research studies.
Keywords: low back pain, sitting behaviour, sitting pressure distribution
Funding acknowledgements: -
A previous pilot research study that investigated the relationship between occupational sitting behaviour and LBP indicated that office workers affected by slight LBP showed a more static sitting behaviour compared to pain-free employees.
Purpose: The current study aimed to examine different parameters of sitting behaviour in a larger sample size, including participants with and without LBP using a novel textile pressure mat. The overall objective of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between occupational sitting habits and acute as well as chronic LBP.
Methods: With prior ethics permission, office workers from a German call centre were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study, if they were able to speak German and not under medical treatment for other physical complaints besides back pain. Seventy participants provided written informed consent prior to the study. Their sitting behaviour was measured for an entire working day using a textile pressure mat “sensomative science” (sensomative GmbH, Rothenburg, Switzerland), connected to a corresponding mobile phone application on which pressure data were stored. Working tasks were standardised: they comprised typing at the computer and calling clients by telephone, using a head-set. Information about short and long-term pain status, as well as corresponding functional limitations, was gathered using two validated questionnaires “the German Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)” and the “Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire (CPG)”. The BPI was used to identify participants with acute pain (within the last 24h) and the CPG to identify those with chronic pain (in the last three months). Data were analysed using two-tailed independent t-tests to detect differences between participants indicating pain and pain-free participants.
Results: The data from 64 participants (40 Female; mean age 43±13 years) were analysed. One participant withdrew from the study and data of five participants were excluded due to technical reasons. Findings demonstrated that office workers suffering from chronic LBP showed a statistically significant (p 0.05) less dynamic sitting behaviour compared to pain-free employees. Office workers affected by acute LBP showed a slightly more static sitting behaviour compared to their pain-free counterparts although this was not statistically significant.
Conclusion(s): This study showed a trend of association between sitting behaviour and chronic LBP among sedentary call centre workers but not in office workers with acute LBP. Future studies are needed with larger sample sizes and different office environments to substantiate these findings.
Implications: Our results demonstrated that individual occupational sitting behaviour might be a contributing factor in developing or maintaining chronic LBP. Promoting dynamic sitting habits may have a beneficial impact in the prevention and management of chronic LBP. Considering the multi-factorial nature of LBP, this remains to be verified in future research studies.
Keywords: low back pain, sitting behaviour, sitting pressure distribution
Funding acknowledgements: -
Topic: Occupational health & ergonomics; Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: University Potsdam, Germany
Ethics committee: University of Potsdam, Germany
Ethics number: no. 42/2014
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
