ABSTRACT
Background: Work-related low back pain (LBP) has received growing attention, especially regarding the effect it has on work productivity and activities of daily living (ADL). Supermarket cashiers are at high risk of LBP due to maintaining awkward postures for prolonged periods. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and intensity of LBP among supermarket cashiers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and to identify occupational and non-occupational risk factors for LBP. Methods: Supermarket cashiers from 12 conveniently selected stores of a major South African supermarket franchise were included in this cross-sectional study. Questionnaires were administered in October and November 2018. Mean LBP disability scores were used as a measure of pain intensity experienced during various activities. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to measure the effect size of different variables on the LBP intensity score. The associations between LBP and both occupational and non-occupational factors were assessed using Fischer's exact test and forward stepwise logistic regression analysis. Results: One hundred and forty-six cashiers participated in the study. Most of the participants reported having minimal LBP (n = 132, 90.4%), indicating that they could cope with most living activities. Based on the mean disability scores, only the effect size of age was large. The odds of having LBP were associated with age 30 years and older (p = 0.001), race other than black African (p = 0.037), and working for more than 10 hours a day (p = 0.039). Conclusion: Reporting of LBP was common among the supermarket cashiers in this study. Older workers are at a higher risk of having LBP, which may be exacerbated by long working hours. Workplace interventions such as ergonomic programmes, structured and defined working hours, and home-based interventions such as exercise therapy, should be implemented.
Subject(s)
Low Back PainABSTRACT
The tissue distribution of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PR) was examined using immunohistochemical technique. Image analysis was done to quantify the immune reactivity. The ERα and PR was localized in luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium, stromal cells, endothelial cells and myometrium and few cells in perimetrium. The immuno staining was observed in the nuclei of cells, however, faint cytoplasmic staining for PR was also observed. Variations were seen in the different tissue compartments of the uterus and during the different phases of the estrous cycle. Significantly higher number of ERα positive cells was observed in lamina epithelialis as compared to stromal cells and smooth muscle cells in myometrium. Significantly higher percentage of ERα positive cells was observed in the lamina epithelialis and lining epithelium of endometrial glands during follicular phase as compared to the luteal phases of estrous cycle (P < 0.05). Higher number of PR positive cells was observed in lamina epithelialis as compared to stromal cells and smooth muscle cells in myometrium (P < 0.05). Higher percentage of PR positive cells was observed in the lamina epithelialis during follicular phase as compared to the luteal phases of estrous cycle (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the immuno reactivity in stromal cells, lining epithelium of endometrial glands and smooth muscle cells of myometrium during the phases of estrous cycle. The study concluded that ERα and PR expressions were higher during follicular phase as compared to the luteal phase
ABSTRACT
Background: Pregnancy among adolescents in South Africa is a growing concern as it may be associated with adverse socioeconomic and health impacts. Timeous initiation and optimal utilisation of antenatal care (ANC) services is imperative to ensure positive pregnancy outcomes. However, this is not always possible owing to various challenges. Methods: A multi-method study design using both retrospective record review and qualitative interviews was undertaken at a district hospital on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data on ANC attendance trends and obstetric/perinatal outcomes for all recorded adolescent pregnancies (1316 years) at the district hospital under study was collected over 3 years (20112013) (n = 314). Qualitative interviews with randomly selected pregnant adolescents were conducted to assess experiences of ANC access and utilisation.Results: Late ANC booking and reduced ANC visits were common for adolescent pregnancies. Under-utilisation of ANC (i.e. less than 4 visits) was significantly associated with lower gestational age (< 37 weeks) (OR = 2.64; 95% CI = 1.04; 6.74; p < 0.05). Low birthweight, low Apgar scores as well as the incidence of maternal anaemia and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) were found to be related to late ANC booking. In-depth interviews suggested that teenagers suffered emotional vulnerability linked to family, partner and financial support. They discussed various barriers linked with accessing ANC while acknowledging perceived benefits.Conclusion: Adolescent pregnancy was associated with late booking and reduced ANC visits, which was a risk for adverse maternal health outcomes. In-depth interviews suggested numerous challenges associated with ANC access including; financial barriers, attitude of healthcare workers (HCWs), long queues, distance travelled to access ANC services, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status and a lack of knowledge