ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for low back pain in order to provide basic information for intervention programs to prevent low back pain in civil airline flight attendants. METHODS: Cross sectional observation was used by using systematic randomized sampling method. Among 1,764 study population, 398 people were selected. For statistical analysis, 210 completed questionnaires were used. Data was analyzed using SPSS 11.0 for t-test, chi square and regression. RESULTS: 1. Positive low back pain rate was 58.7% in the whole study group. In the highest positive group age ranged between 25 to 29 years, and career duration between 37 to 60 months. 2. According to job position, the risk of low back pain was the highest in economy class senior, cabin sales charge, and economy class junior group. On the contrary, cabin manager was the lowest risk group. 3. According to the average score of job stress, low job control and low supervisory support were each associated with higher positive rate of low back pain. 4. Wide degree of bending, more frequent waist movement and heavy lifting showed high positive rate of low back pain. CONCLUSION: Low back pain prevention program should be developed on the basis of the confirmed risk factors. These data will be helpful to provide prevention strategy and to promote intervention program for low back pain in airline flight attendants.
Subject(s)
Commerce , Lifting , Low Back Pain , Risk Factors , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is known to be the significant reason for absenteeism and can develop long-term disability. So the airline authorities have made an effort to reduce the incidence of LBP by applying their physical standards. As a LBP Prevention Program, Airline A has provided health education, counseling and physical examinations. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between LBP and physical characteristics, age and work duration, and this result will provide basic information for improving the LBP Prevention Program. METHOD: The subjects were the 585 flight attendants who had undergone regular physical check-ups with Airline A Medical Center from October 2000 to September 2001. We reviewed their absence records and physical characteristics, age and work duration. These data were analyzed statistically by the t-test and Lositic regression. RESULT: The LBP history group accounted for 18% of the study group. The male LBP history group had the more thin waist than the no history group. There were no differences (P<0.05) between LBP and other male and female physical characteristics. The age and work duration of male LBP history group was lower than the no history group (P<0.05). But the female comparison revealed that only the work experience in the LBP history group was lower than the No history group (P<0.05). Waist, age, work duration was analyzed statistically by logistic regression. Only female's work experience was significant. The fewer work experience was the more LBP. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest LBP is associated with work experience rather than physical characteristics. This is the first step toward improving a LBP Prevention Program for the cabin crew. It will be useful to conduct another review to assess various other reasons, such as psychosocial job factors, duration of work disability and muscle strength, related to LBP.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Absenteeism , Counseling , Health Education , Incidence , Logistic Models , Low Back Pain , Muscle Strength , Physical ExaminationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This is to evaluate the noisy environment, and to improve the hearing conservation program by analyzing the status of hearing loss and risk factors which cause hearing loss of Airlines pilots. METHODS: We reviewed Audiometric, Medical and Flying records of total 92 pilots under 55 years old . These subjects selected after excluding pilots with history of ear disease and ototoxic drug administration. The significance of the factors was analyzed by ANOVA and Regression test. RESULT: The mean age of pilots was 39.96 years old and the mean flight time was 5665.39 hours. The noise levels by aircrafts were mean 76.9dB and maximum 144.4dB in B737, mean 78.5dB and maximum 143.2dB in B747. The noise levels by headset were mean 72.1dB and maximum 144.1dB. The mean hearing threshold level was different with age groups. The older in age, the higher in the mean hearing threshold level at high frequency and left ear. It was increased the mean hearing threshold level (dB) at high frequency (4,000 Hz) by total flight time The effect on hearing threshold level at high frequency in left ear was statistically significant in total flight time (p=0.032). CONCLUSION: The noise level of aircrafts could cause noise-induced hearing loss in some pilots. Age and total flight time are within the range of possibility of hearing loss. The result of this study ascertained the possibility of hearing loss due to monaural-headsets on the left ear at 4,000 Hz. It is recommended that an effective hearing conservation program should be provided for the headset-wearing communication pilots.