title: Incidence and recurrence of disabling low back pain and neck-shoulder pain.
abstract: METHODS
  A prospective cohort study with 1-year follow-up.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess incidence and recurrence of disabling low back (LBP) and neck-shoulder pain (NSP) in an industrial population, and to investigate the association with sex and job title during follow-up.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Epidemiologic data of LBP and NSP are sparse from developing countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  All employees (18,031) in an Iranian industry were invited to participate in a baseline survey and followed for 1 year regarding new episodes of sickness absence due to LBP or NSP (disabling pain).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1-year incidence of disabling LBP was 2.1% and of NSP 0.1%. Although the prevalence of LBP in females was higher than in males, the incidence disabling LBP were higher in males. Both prevalence and incidence of disabling LBP were high in unskilled workers. For NSP, managers had the highest reported prevalence, but incident cases happened only among office workers and unskilled workers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence, especially for NSP, is much lower than from developed countries. To study prevalence, incidence and recurrence of LBP and NSP simultaneously leads to a better understanding of the natural pattern and distribution of LBP and NSP in a working population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Science, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. mostafa.ghaffari@cns.ki.se
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghaffari
authors.forename: Akbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alipour
authors.forename: Ali Asghar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Farshad
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yensen
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vingard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007221:Industry; D007492:Iran; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D012737:Sex Factors; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control