Abstract:
A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence
and the factors associated with low back pain (LBP) among 814 young
workers ranging from 14 to 17 years of age engaged in the informal
sector of traditional weaving in Central and Southern Ethiopia.
Standard modified data collection tools such as Nordic, Quick
Exposure Check, Thermal comfort assessment question and Health
and Safety Executives Management Standard questions for workrelated
stress assessment were used. Data were entered in Epi-Info
version 3.5 and exported to STATA version 12 for analysis and descriptive
statistics; bivariate andmultivariate logistic regression analysis was
used to identify the associated factors. The prevalence of LBP among
young workers was 48.9%, and 14.0% of it responded to severe LBP.
Working seat without backrest (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.6; 95%CI
1.5‒4.3), working 7 days in a week (AOR = 2.5; 95% CI 1.2‒5.0), workplace
thermal level as warm (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.1‒2.6), work at night
(AOR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.1‒2.5) and awareness on workplace safety as a
protective effect (AOR = 0.4; 95% CI 0.2‒0.8) were statistically significant
with LBP at p < 0.05. LBP was highly prevalent among young
workers in the informal sector of traditional weaving. Thus, intervention
should be focused on work condition improvement, strengthening
labor inspection service and enforcement of legal standards.
