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Review
. 2021 Dec 23:15:11786302211067839.
doi: 10.1177/11786302211067839. eCollection 2021.

Occupational Related Upper and Low Back Pain Among the Working Population of Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Dechasa Adare Mengistu  1 , Yohannes Mulugeta Demmu  1 , Addisu Alemu  2
Affiliations
Review

Occupational Related Upper and Low Back Pain Among the Working Population of Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Dechasa Adare Mengistu et al. Environ Health Insights. .

Abstract

Background: Back pain, such as upper and low back pain are among the most common musculoskeletal conditions that can cause major public health and socioeconomic problems. Back pain is one of the leading causes of disability that reduces worker performance and well-being and increases absence from work, which can cause an enormous economic burden. In developing countries, particularly in Ethiopia, there is no adequate evidence on the overall prevalence of occupational-related upper and low back pain, and they remain less prioritized and empirically unrepresented. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of occupational-related upper and low back pain among the working population of Ethiopia.

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis considered studies conducted in Ethiopia, written in English, and published from 2017 to 2020. Articles were searched from 9 electronic databases (Web of Science, SCOPUS, PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, African Index Medicus, African Journals Online database, and Science Direct) using a combination of Boolean logic operators, Medical Subject Headings, and main keywords. The quality assessment of the articles was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools to determine the relevance of the articles to the study. A random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence, the 95% confidence interval, and the degree of heterogeneity among the included studies. Sensitivity analyses were performed to identify the influence of outliers and to identify sources of heterogeneity.

Results: Of the 1114 studies identified from the included databases, 20 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of occupational-related upper and low back pain in the previous year was (27.1% [95% CI: 18.4, 37.9]) and (54.2% [95% CI: 48.2, 60.0]), respectively. Based on a subgroup analysis by publication year, study population, and regions where the studies were conducted, the prevalence of upper back pain was (43.8% [95% CI: 39.3, 47.7]), (34.7% [95% CI: 33.1, 36.2]), and (36.2% [95% CI: 33.6, 39.0]), respectively, while the prevalence of low back pain was (61.8% [95% CI: 58.9, 64.6], (52.8% [95% CI: 51.3, 54.3]), and (55.2% [95% CI: 51.4, 59.0]), respectively.

Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis found that 54.2% of the included study participants experienced low back pain in the previous year, while 27.1% experienced upper back pain. The highest prevalence was reported among pedestrian back-loading women.

Keywords: Back pain; Ethiopia; low back pain; musculoskeletal disorders; occupational health; upper back pain.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Study selection process of included articles for a systematic review and meta-analysis, 2020.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Forest plot shows the pooled prevalence of occupational-related upper back pain in the previous year in Ethiopia, 2020.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Forest plot shows the pooled prevalence of occupational-related low back pain in the previous year in Ethiopia, 2020.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Forest plot shows the subgroup analysis of pooled prevalence of occupational related upper and low back pain in the previous year based on the outcome, 2020.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
The funnel plot of the prevalence of occupational related low back pain, showings level of publication bias.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
The funnel plot of the prevalence of occupational related upper back pain, showings level of publication bias.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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