Ergonomic and psychosocial risk factors for low back pain among rice farmers in West Bengal, India

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Rice farming is considered the most crucial industry in India, where millions of farmers suffer from LBP. OBJECTIVES: The present study’s primary objectives were to evaluate the prevalence of low back pain among India’s rice farmers and determine the relationship between low back pain and ergonomic risk factors and psychosocial factors encountered by the farmers. METHODS: Socio-demographics, ergonomics risk factors and psychosocial factors that cause LBP among rice farmers were examined. Modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Oswestry LBP Questionnaire were administered among the farmers to evaluate the LBP. Univariate analysis was done to find out the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals among the farmers. RESULTS: The primary findings from this study regarding the psychosocial factors, such as perceived inadequacy of income (84.7%), job demands (78.1%), work demand targets specific productivity (76.5%), rigidity in work methods (75.3%), monotony at work (73.2 %), have a relationship with LBP. The results also revealed that the relationship between the low back pain and ergonomic risk factors, such as repetitiveness (OR- 4.215; 95% CI- 2.551–6.965), working in awkward posture (OR- 85.82; 95% CI- 43.134–170.77), lifting loads (OR- 0.281; 95% CI- 0.125–0.324), pulling loads (OR- 0.274; 95% CI- 0.173–0.434), showed significant relationship with LBP in the univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of LBP among rice farmers connected with ergonomic and psychosocial risk factors. The awkward posture, MMH (lifting and carrying) are the main causative factors of LBP.