Occupational low back pain among bus conductors of Udupi District, Karnataka.

Though studies have reported low back pain (LBP) in professional drivers, the conductors who also share the same working environment because of travelling in same bus, are often neglected. Thus, the present study is undertaken to assess the prevalence of low back pain and the factors associated with it. The study included 237 bus conductors of government bus depots. The data regarding occupational, non-occupational and environmental factors was collected by interview technique on a structured questionnaire. Self-reported back pain since last 12 months in or near the lumbosacral spine was considered as a case of LBP. The study revealed that 27.4% had low back pain. The multivariate analysis suggested that tobacco smoking, self-reported bad road conditions and lack of enough break during work were significant risk factors. Thus, to conclude, the conductors are at risk of low back pain which can be attributed to occupational as well as non-occupational factors.