Occupational driving as a risk factor in low back pain: a case-control study in a Mexican population

The objective of this study was to assess and quantify the degree to which interaction between occupational driving and lifting tasks is a risk factor in lumbar spondyloarthrosis etiology. A case-control study was performed with 231 workers, 18-55 years old, insured by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS, according to its designation in Spanish). A multivariate analysis using conditional logistical regression showed that driving tasks, when combined with lifting tasks, are associated with this illness (OR = 7.3; 95% CI 1.7-31.4). Occupational driving as it interacted with daily lifting frequency resulted in a greater risk (OR = 10.4; 95% CI 2.0-52.5). No exposure-response relationship was found with daily hours spent working as a driver. The attributable risk for driving tasks was 0.86, suggesting that 86% of lumbar spondyloarthrosis could be decreased if risk factors were reduced through ergonomic redesign of the workplace and Manual Materials Handling (MMH) tasks, along with development of educational programs.