Lower back pain prevalence and risk factors among sand workers

Abstract Background Lower back pain (LBP) is viewed as a debilitating musculoskeletal disorder that causes social distress and work absenteeism among the working populations. Objective The study was designed to examine the prevalence of and risk factors for LBP among sand workers in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Materials and methods This study was a cross-sectional survey involving 251 male sand workers aged between 18 and 63 years (mean ± SD = 22.90 ± 12.00 years). A modified standard Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) assessed the prevalence of LBP, its clinical characteristics, and related effects. A descriptive statistic of mean, standard deviation, and percentages summarised the prevalence, sample, and clinical characteristics of the LBP. Spearman’s rank correlation evaluated the relationship of the prevalence of LBP with respondents’ ages, the dimensions of the shovels, and number of years on the job (work duration). Statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Results The respondents were all males. Most (78.90%) were between the ages of 18 and 32 years, and those who had worked for 6–15 years were in preponderance (42.20%). Respondents with LBP in the last 12 months accounted for 39.00%. There was a significant weak positive correlation between LBP and age (rs = 0.186; p = 0.003) and work duration (rs = 0.130; p = 0.039). Also, there was a significant moderate negative correlation between LBP and length of the shovel (rs = -0.38; p = 0.001). Conclusion Prevalence of LBP among the participants, who were all males, was 39.00%. The relationship between LBP and age was significantly weak but positive.