title: Are Irish therapists at heightened risk for low back pain?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Within the international literature, no studies have been identified that compare prevalence rates of low back pain (LBP) in chartered physiotherapists, physical and athletic therapists and those in the national working population, making it unclear whether such therapists are an occupational group at high risk of developing LBP.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To establish the prevalence of LBP among therapists (both employed and self-employed) in Ireland, to compare the employment status-, gender- and age-specific LBP prevalence rates between therapists and the national working population and to estimate the adjusted odds of developing LBP among therapists relative to the national working population.
  
  
  METHODS
  An analysis of data from the Health In Hand Intensive Tasks and Safety (HITS) study and the third national Survey on Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLÁN). The HITS study was a cross-sectional study investigating work-related musculoskeletal disorders in practising therapists. The SLÁN 2007 was a face-to-face interview study of adults.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LBP prevalence in therapists was 49% with no significant difference by employment status. Therapists had a much higher prevalence compared with the national working population across all demographic strata, with therapists nearly five times more likely to suffer from LBP than the national working population after careful adjustment for differences in sociodemographic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapists in Ireland are an occupational group at high risk of developing LBP, warranting further research into their physical and psychosocial work-related risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College Cork, Cork T12 XF62, Ireland.
authors.forename: D A M
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.affiliation: Department of Design and Manufacturing Technology, University of Limerick, Limerick V94 T9PX, Ireland.
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College Cork, Cork T12 XF62, Ireland, Kerry Health and Safety, Killarney, Co Kerry V93 H9YO, Ireland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College Cork, Cork T12 XF62, Ireland, B.Greiner@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Greiner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059825:Physical Therapists / Q000639:trends*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Health care workers; physiotherapist; prevalence; work-related musculoskeletal disorder.