title: Chronic low back pain among tobacco farmers in southern Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite tobacco farming involving intensive manual labor, chronic low back pain (CLBP) prevalence and associated factors are unknown among this occupational group.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study conducted in southern Brazil. A random sample of tobacco farmers was interviewed. Socioeconomic and individual characteristics, occupational tasks, workloads, and comorbidities were investigated. Chronic low back pain prevalence was described in relation to independent variables, and associations were examined with Poisson regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chronic low back pain prevalence was 8·4%. Increasing age, rearing two or more species of livestock (PR 1·65), exposure to tasks that require heavy physical exertion (PR 2·00), working in awkward postures (PR 1·36), green tobacco sickness (GTS) (PR 1·63), pesticide poisoning (PR 2·37), and minor psychiatric disorders (PR 2·55) were associated with CLBP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found that CLBP is a relevant health problem among tobacco farmers and highlights understudied risk factors such as pesticide poisoning and GTS. Policies to minimize exposure to physiological and chemical workloads in tobacco planting to prevent CLBP are needed. Health professionals should be trained to diagnose and prevent acute low back pain episodes and thus prevent/minimize limitations and disabilities due to CLBP.
authors: Rodrigo D
authors: RD
authors: Meucci
authors: Anaclaudia G
authors: AG
authors: Fassa
authors: Neice M X
authors: NM
authors: Faria
authors: Nadia S
authors: NS
authors: Fiori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000067565:Farmers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014026:Nicotiana; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Agriculture,; Brazil,; Chronic low back pain,; Musculoskeletal disorders; Occupational health,; Prevalence,; Tobacco farming,
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