title: Biomechanical, psychosocial and individual risk factors predicting low back functional impairment among furniture distribution employees.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biomechanical, psychosocial and individual risk factors for low back disorder have been studied extensively however few researchers have examined all three risk factors. The objective of this was to develop a low back disorder risk model in furniture distribution workers using biomechanical, psychosocial and individual risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study with a six month follow-up time. There were 454 subjects at 9 furniture distribution facilities enrolled in the study. Biomechanical exposure was evaluated using the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (2001) lifting threshold limit values for low back injury risk. Psychosocial and individual risk factors were evaluated via questionnaires. Low back health functional status was measured using the lumbar motion monitor. Low back disorder cases were defined as a loss of low back functional performance of -0.14 or more.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 92 cases of meaningful loss in low back functional performance and 185 non cases. A multivariate logistic regression model included baseline functional performance probability, facility, perceived workload, intermediated reach distance number of exertions above threshold limit values, job tenure manual material handling, and age combined to provide a model sensitivity of 68.5% and specificity of 71.9%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicate which biomechanical, individual and psychosocial risk factors are important as well as how much of each risk factor is too much resulting in increased risk of low back disorder among furniture distribution workers.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, Biodynamics Laboratory, Columbus, OH, USA. ferguson.4@osu.edu
authors.forename: Sue A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: W Gary
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Allread
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Burr
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heaney
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Marras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings; D017770:Lifting; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011584:Psychology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*