RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) among rice farmers in a rural community in Phitsanulok, Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 283 rice farmers in Wangnamkhu subdistrict, Muang district, Phitsanulok province, a rural community in Lower Northern Thailand. Face-to-face interviews with a structured closed-end questionnaire were performed to collect information on the presence of LBP in lifetime, within the last 12 months prior to and at the time of the present study. RESULTS: The lifetime, 1-year (12-month) and point prevalence rates of LBP were 77%, 56% and 49%, respectively. No relationship between age and LBP was found. However women (61%) had significantly greater 1-year prevalence than men (51%). Ninety-five percent of LBP rice farmers were chronic (experiencing pain longer than 12 weeks) with a mean duration of 292 weeks (5.6 years). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of LBP among Thai rice farmers is high. Further research should investigate risk factors among this group of the population to design appropriate preventive measures.
Assuntos
Doenças dos Trabalhadores Agrícolas/epidemiologia , Agricultura , Dor Lombar/epidemiologia , População Rural/estatística & dados numéricos , Atividades Cotidianas , Adulto , Idoso , Doenças dos Trabalhadores Agrícolas/etiologia , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos , Humanos , Dor Lombar/etiologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Distribuição por Sexo , Inquéritos e Questionários , Tailândia/epidemiologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To compare physical fitness between rice farmers with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and a healthy control group. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Sixty-eight rice farmers with CLBP were matched according to age and sex with healthy farmers. All subjects underwent nine physical fitness tests for body composition, lifting capacity, static back extensor endurance, leg strength, static abdominal endurance, handgrip strength, hamstring flexibility, posterior leg and back muscles flexibility and abdominal flexibility. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between CLBP and healthy groups for all tests, except the static back extensor endurance. The back extensor endurance times of the CLBP group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Static back extensor endurance is the deficient physical fitness in CLBP rice farmers. Back extensor endurance training should be emphasized in both prevention and rehabilitation programs.
