Push/pull risk factors at workstations: A case-control study of mexican industrial workers

Abstract

The objective of this study was to quantify and assess whether push/pull tasks in the workplace are risk factors for lower back pain etiology. A case-control study was conducted of 231 industrial workers 18-55 years old who were insured by the Mexican Social Security Institute (MSSI) in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area of Jalisco, Mexico. Exposure was evaluated via a questionnaire. Multivariate analysis using conditional logistic regression showed risks for push/pull tasks (odds ratio = 5.7, 95% confidence interval, 1.4-23.1) adjusted for lifting, carrying, and driving work. The fraction attributable to push/pull tasks was 0.58, suggesting that the risk of developing lumbar spondyloarthrosis might be reduced by 58% with ergonomic redesign for pushing and pulling tasks at workstations. Additional research is needed to confirm this relationship and will ideally incorporate a greater number of subjects to assure detailed analyses of exposure categories and facilitate new comparisons with the results of the present study. � 2012Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Copyright � 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.