Association between Low Back Pain and Work and Lifestyle Variables among Fruit Farm Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

HighlightsLow back pain has a high prevalence among fruit farm workers.Fruit packing workers are more likely to have low back pain than field workers.Abstract. The objective of this observational and correlational cross-sectional study was to analyze the association of labor variables, lifestyle, and low back pain among workers on a grape farm in the northeast region of Brazil. A total of 180 rural workers, men and women, age 18 years and older, and active on the company’s staff, participated in the study. The presence of low back pain, considered as a dependent variable, was categorized as yes or no, and the independent variables were personal, work, and lifestyle factors. The workers performed functions in the field (72%) and fruit packing (28%). Low back pain was reported by 44.1% (n = 79) of the participants. There were associations between low back pain and the function performed by the worker. Thus, workers in fruit packing were 1.53 more likely to have low back pain (95% CI 1.09-2.15) when compared with workers in the field, demonstrating the need for strategies to improve the structure of the workday, such as the inclusion of active breaks. Keywords: Low back pain, Musculoskeletal discomfort, Occupational health.