[A survey on low back pain and preventive measures among land freight transportation workers].

Abstract

Objectives: Low back pain (LBP) remains a major occupational health concern in the land freight transportation industry and has yet to be effectively resolved. Contributing factors include insufficient implementation of preventive measures and misalignment with actual working conditions. In this study, we aimed to identify tasks associated with high lumbar loads, examine the current situation of LBP, and evaluate the implementation of preventive measures among workers in the land freight transportation industry through interviews and a web-based questionnaire survey.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 workers and 19 managers from 8 companies to understand job characteristics, the prevalence of LBP, and the status of preventive efforts. Additionally, a web-based questionnaire survey was administered to 2,000 workers in the land freight transportation industry. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey responses.

Results: The interview survey identified tasks that impose substantial stress on the lower back, including manual lifting and lowering of heavy loads, organizing cargo on the beds of kei-trucks, pushing and pulling carts on slopes, prolonged driving, and transferring loads between pallets at delivery sites. The web-based survey revealed that 66.9% of respondents had experienced LBP in the past year. The primary work-related factors reported by workers with LBP were manual lifting and carrying heavy loads, although these factors varied according to occupational characteristics. Truck drivers frequently reported a lack of exercise, poor driving posture, and long working hours, whereas warehouse workers commonly reported prolonged standing, awkward postures during material handling, and high levels of psychological stress. Preventive measures included exercise and training, improvements to the driving environment for drivers, and guidance on proper posture for warehouse workers.

Conclusions: The prevalence of LBP among land freight transportation workers remains high, with excessive lower back stress being inherent in daily tasks. These findings suggest the importance of occupational health education focused on proper working posture, the promotion of mechanization and automation to reduce manual lifting, and the provision of appropriate rest breaks. Importantly, tailored preventive approaches that are adapted to specific job characteristics may be required. Additional longitudinal or interventional studies are needed to further examine preventive strategies.