Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-07T19:19:37.955Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Low back pain and psychological distress according to the job tenure among electricians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

I. Sellami*
Affiliation:
1Occupational medicine, Hedi Chaker Hospital 2Medecine univeristy
A. Feki
Affiliation:
2Medecine univeristy 3Rheumatoloy, Hedi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
A. Abbes
Affiliation:
1Occupational medicine, Hedi Chaker Hospital
M. Hajjaji
Affiliation:
1Occupational medicine, Hedi Chaker Hospital
S. Baklouti
Affiliation:
3Rheumatoloy, Hedi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
M. L. Masmoudi
Affiliation:
1Occupational medicine, Hedi Chaker Hospital
K. Jmal Hammami
Affiliation:
1Occupational medicine, Hedi Chaker Hospital
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

Low back pain (LBP) is common among electricians caused by work conditions. Even when symptoms are short-term and not medically serious, LBP can be associated with psychological distress.

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the link between LBP and psychological distress according to the job tenure among electricians.

Methods

The study was conducted in a group from a Tunisian Electricity society. Data were gathered between January-June 2022 using a self-administered questionnaire including socio-professional characteristics, the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire during the last 12 months and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). Our population was divided into two groups according to job tenure. The first group (G1) consisted of electricians with less than ten years of job tenure and the second (G2) consisted of electricians with more than ten years of seniority.

Results

G1 consisted of 10 participants with a mean age of 30.6 ± 6.7 years and with average job tenure of 3.3 ± 1.1 years. G2 consisted of 64 participants with a mean age of 40.7 ± 10.3 years and average job tenure of 17.4 ± 10.9 years. According to the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire, LBP during the last 12 months was present in the first and the second group in 30.8% and 14.3% of participants, respectively.

The proportion of respondents with high levels of psychological distress (K6 score of 13 or greater) in the first and the second groups was 10 % and 9.4% of participants, respectively. The presence of low back pain during the last 12 months was significantly associated with a high score of K6 in the second group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

From the results of this study, we conclude that LBP was associated with psychological distress when the job tenure is high. Therefore, the prevention of LBP should go through programmes to build ergonomically safe working conditions to enhance the mental health of electricians.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.