RAJIVGANDHIUNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES,

KARNATAKA, BANGALORE

ANNEXURE II

PROFORMA FOR REGISTRATION OF SUBJECTS FOR DISSERTATION

1. / Name of the Candidate
And
Address / MR. PERUMAL MENAMVEETTIL MATHEW,
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOTHERAPY,
FATHERMULLERMEDICALCOLLEGE,
MANGALORE-575002
2. / Name of the Institution / FATHERMULLERMEDICALCOLLEGE,
(PHYSIOTHERAPY COURSE)
MANGALORE.
3. / Course of study and subject / MASTER OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
(MUSCULOSKELETAL AND SPORTS PHYSIOTHERAPY)
4. / Date of admission to Course / 01-06-2008
5. / Title of the Topic / THE OCCURRENCE OF LOW BACK PAIN AMONG SEDENTARY WORKERS IN URBAN MANGALORE.
6. / Brief resume of the intended work:
6.1Need for the study
Low back pain is one of the most common causes of musculoskeletal disorders related to work status and condition.1The Pan American Health Organizationidentified low back pain as one of the top three occupational health problems in the Americans.2Approximately 80% of the population has presented or will present an episode of low back pain during their active lives .Low back pain corresponds to over 50% of all musculoskeletal dysfunctions that cause chronic disabilities in industrialized countries leading to expenses with treatment and absenteeism from work.3
Pain that lies posteriorly, between the lower ribs and glutei foldsis defined as low back pain.4 It is caused due to various factors such as degeneration, trauma and mechanical causes and a variety of occupational factors such as prolonged sitting, standing, lifting, bending and heavy manual work.5 Literature has shown that man employed in heavy manual jobs have a higher incidence of low back pain and a higher rate of absenteeism than sedentary workers.6
Sedentary workers involve people working in banks, shops, travel agencies, post-offices or any other office jobs who maintain a static sitting position for a long time.7 Some studies have indicated that workers with jobs that require prolonged sitting have an increased risk of low back pain. Sitting leads to an increase of disc pressure and is often associated with sustained static loading of the lumbar spine and surrounding tissues. These factors are considered to be the causes of low back pain in sedentary workers.8
Most of the studies regarding the occurrence of low back pain among sedentary workers have been done in industrialized countries. But to date, no research has been conducted to find the occurrence and risk factors of low back pain among sedentary workers in India. Therefore this study will help us to know approximately how many sedentary workers in Urban Mangalore are suffering from low back pain. The findings of this study may help to promote the preventive measures of low back pain among sedentary workers.
Research Question:
What is the occurrence of low back pain among sedentary workers in Urban Mangalore?
Hypothesis:
There is high occurrence of low back pain among sedentary workers in Urban Mangalore.
Null Hypothesis:
There is low occurrence of low back pain among sedentary workers in Urban Mangalore.
Operational Definitions:
Low back pain:-Defined as pain that lies posteriorly between the lower ribs and glutei folds and is caused due to various factors such as degeneration, trauma and mechanical causes.
Sedentary work: - Any occupation or work involving little physical activity.
Predisposing factors:-Aggravating factors, factors which make an illness bad or worse, related to certain condition
6.2Review of Literature:
Loney and Stratford4stated that low back pain runs between the lower ribs and the glutei and can be related to multiple causes such as neoplasm, inflammatory and infectious diseases, degenerative changes, trauma and mechanical causes.
Rihimaki et al 5stated that low back pain is related to a variety of occupational factors such as prolonged sitting and standing.
Burdorf and colleagues 8in their studies they have stated that workers with jobs that require prolonged sitting have an increased risk of low back pain.
Panagiotis spyropoulos and co- researchers 1 in their study they found that fewer epidemiological studies have examined the appearance and associated risk factors of low back pain among office workers.They have also stated that sitting for more than 3 hours daily could be a risk factor for low back pain.
Mukandoli7 stated that prolonged sitting in an unsupported sitting posture especially with forward flexion results in many adverse effects on the back among sedentary office workers.
Hunter 9 stated that most of the low back pain is caused by prolonged overstretching of ligaments and other surrounding soft tissues, resulting in the creep phenomena, which is characterized by a continued deformation of a fixed load; the material continues to deflect until an equilibrium point is reached. This commonly arises particularly during poor posture habits, in sitting and standing.
7.
8. / 6.3Objectives of the study:
  • To know the occurrence of low back pain among sedentary workers in Urban Mangalore.
  • To determine the predisposing factors of low back pain among sedentary
workers in Urban Mangalore.
Material and methods
7.1Source of data:
500 Office employees from various organizations or sectors like banks, travel agencies, shops and post offices in Urban Mangalore.
7.2Method of collection of data
Study Design:
A descriptive study design.
Sample procedure:
A sample size of 500 employees will be selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.A questionnaire will be prepared to find the occurrence of low back pain among sedentary workers, which will be validated by experienced physiotherapy faculty of various institutions. The questionnaire is designed to find out the occurrence and pre disposing factors of low back pain in sedentary workers. After validation the printed questionnaire will be handed over to sedentary office workers such as bank officers, receptionists, post -office workers, travel agencies etc in Urban Mangalore who have been selected for the study. A request/
introductory letter will accompany each questionnaire. The participants will be randomly selected from each office to participate in the study.
Inclusion Criteria:
  • Age should be between 25 -55yrs.
  • Only low back pain included.
  • Participants should only be doing sedentary work such as prolonged sitting, desk top users, bank employers, post office employees, receptionists etc, from Urban Mangalore.
Exclusion Criteria:
  • Low back pain caused due to any trauma, fracture, spondylosis, tumor and
tuberculosis to spine or any other infection.
  • Heavy manual workers.
Statistical analysis
Collected data will be analyzed by frequencies, percentages and by Chi-Square test.
7.3Does the study require any investigation or intervention to be conducted on patients or animals?
No
7.4Has the ethical clearance been obtained from your institution in case of the above question?
Yes
List of References:
  1. Spyropoulos P, Papathanasiou G, Georgoudis G, Chronopoulos E, Koutis H and Koumoutsou F- A prospective evaluation of prevalence of low back pain in Greek public office workers. Pain Physician 2007;10: 651-660
  2. Punnett L, Pruss-Ustun A, Nelson D, Fingerhut M, Leigh J, Tak S and Phillips S -Estimating the global burden of low back pain attributable to combined occupational exposures. American Journal of Industrial Medicine-2005.
  3. Andrusaitis S, Oliveira R. P and Eloy T-Study of the prevalence and risk factors for low back pain in truck drivers in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil – Clinics2006; vol.61: no.6.
  4. Loney P. L and Stratford P. W-Prevalence of low back pain in adults: A Methodological review of Literature. January 13, 1999 physical therapy, April 1999; vol.79, no.4: 384-396.
  5. Rihimaki H,Tola S, Videman T and Hanninen K –Low back pain and Occupation, A cross- sectional questionnaire study of men in machine operating, dynamic physical work and sedentary work.Spine.1989;vol.14: no.2.
  1. Lloyd M.H, Gauld S and Souter C.A –Epidemiological study of back pain in miners and office workers. Spine.1986; vol.11: no 2.
  2. Mukandoli K- Predisposing factors of chronic low back pain among sedentary office workers in Nairobi, Kenya. University of Western Cape, November 2004; 11-20.
  3. Burdorf A, Naaktgeboren B and Hans C.W.M-Occupational Risk Factors for Low Back Pain among Sedentary Workers. JOM. December 1993; volume5: no. 12.
  4. Hunter G -Specific soft tissue mobilization in the management of soft tissue
dysfunction. Manual therapy 1998; 3(1): 2-11.
DEPARMENT OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
FATHERMULLERMEDICALCOLLEGE
MANGALORE
I, Perumal Menamveettil Mathew, Postgraduate Physiotherapy student, Department of Physiotherapy, FatherMullerMedicalCollege, Mangalore, am conducting a survey to find the occurrence of low back pain among various sedentary workers in Urban Mangalore. I request you to kindly accept my invitation and participate in this study by filling the questionnaire.
Thank you.
Sample Questionnaire for the Survey
[You are requested to answer all the questions]
Demographic data
Age: Name of Office / Organization:
Sex: M / F Designation:
  1. What is the nature of your job?
  1. Desk top operators
  2. Typists
  3. Receptionists
  4. Any other, please specify
  1. How long have you been working?
  1. 1-5yrs
  2. 5-10yrs
  3. 10-15yrs
  4. 15yrs and above
  1. How many hours do you sit and work continuously per day?
  1. 2-4hrs
  2. 4-6hrs
  3. 6-8hrs
  4. 8-10hrs
  1. How many breaks do you take while at work?
  1. 1-2breaks
  2. 2-3 breaks
  3. More than three
  4. No break
  1. Whether the work load is shared by team members or handled alone?
  1. Yes
  2. No
  1. Do you think the furniture you are using is a comfortable one?
  1. Yes
  2. No
  1. How long have you been using the same chair?
  1. Less than 2 yrs
  2. 2-5 yrs
  3. 5-8 yrs
  4. More than 8 yrs
  1. Do you have back pain?
  1. Yes
  2. No
  1. If yes, since how long?
  2. Have you taken any medication or physiotherapy treatment for the same?
  1. Yes
  2. No
  1. If yes, since when?
  2. Have you benefited from it?
  1. Yes
  2. No
  1. Did you follow up the physiotherapy treatment?
  1. Yes
  2. No
  1. Do you take part in any kind of exercises?
  1. Walking for less than half an hour
  2. Walking for half an hour
  3. Games
  4. Not doing any exercises
  1. Do you do any specific exercises for back and abdomen?
  1. Yes
  2. No
NAME AND ADDRESS:
[Your address and Identity will be kept confidential]
Thanks for your patience, time and co-operation.
(Questionnaire will be modified before the commencement of study)
9. / SIGNATURE OF CANDIDATE
10. / REMARK OF THE GUIDE
11. / NAME AND DESIGNATION OF
11.1 GUIDE / MR.KANAGARAJ R.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
DEPT OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
11.2SIGNATURE
11.3CO-GUIDE / DR. EDWARD NAZARETH
PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF ORTHOPAEDICS
11.4SIGNATURE
11.5 NAME OF THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT / MR. NARASIMMAN S.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
DEPT OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
11.6 SIGNATURE
12. / 12.1 REMARKS OF THE CHAIRMAN & PRINCIPAL
12.2SIGNATURE