Personal and Occupational Risk Factors of Low Back Pain in Hospital Administration Workers

Haris Setyawan; Lusi Ismayenti; Isna Qadrijati; Seviana Rinawati; Ratna Fajariani; Tutug Bolet Atmojo; Tyas Lilia Wardani; Hengky Ditya Eko Nugroho; Nabylla Sharfina Sekar Nurriwanti; Ayu Prima Kartika

doi:10.33096/woh.vi.2560

Haris Setyawan Departement of Occupational Health and Safety, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Lusi Ismayenti Departement of Occupational Health and Safety, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Isna Qadrijati Departement of Occupational Health and Safety, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Seviana Rinawati Departement of Occupational Health and Safety, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Ratna Fajariani Departement of Occupational Health and Safety, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Tutug Bolet Atmojo Departement of Occupational Health and Safety, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Tyas Lilia Wardani Departement of Occupational Health and Safety, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Hengky Ditya Eko Nugroho Departement of Occupational Health and Safety, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Nabylla Sharfina Sekar Nurriwanti Departement of Occupational Health and Safety, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Ayu Prima Kartika Departement of Occupational Health and Safety, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33096/woh.vi.2560

Keywords: Administrative workers, Low back pain, Risk factors

Abstract

Around 223.5 million individuals experienced low back pain, and there were 63.7 million years lived with disability. Multiple studies have identified various risk factors that contribute to the development and persistence of LBP in this demographic, including personal and occupational risk factors. This study aims to investigate personal and occupational risk factors causing LBP complaints among administrative workers at the two largest hospitals in Surakarta City, Indonesia. This study was an analytical observational study with a cross-sectional design conducted at RSUNS and RSDM in June-July 2024, using purposive sampling to select 130 respondents. This study used a questionnaire to collect data on personal and work risk factors such as age, education, gender, length of service, medical history, sitting position, chair backrest height, and duration of sitting in the office. The data was processed using the Somers D test to determine the correlation between the independent and dependent variables. This study found that key occupational risk factors, such as sitting position (p = 0.688), height of chair backrest (p = 0.372), and duration of sitting at the office (p = 0.283), showed no significant correlation to low back pain (LBP) among hospital administrative workers. However, over half of the respondents reported experiencing moderate LBP, highlighting it as an occupational health issue. The findings suggest that commonly measured ergonomic indicators alone may not adequately assess LBP risk in this setting. Therefore, hospitals should implement structured active breaks, work mobility/rest periods, and health education about prolonged sitting.

References

Shokri P, Zahmatyar M, Falah Tafti M, Fathy M, Rezaei Tolzali M, Ghaffari Jolfayi A, et al. Non-spinal low back pain: Global epidemiology, trends, and risk factors. Health Sci Rep. 2023;6(9):1–12.

Sutherland C, Smallwood A, Wootten T, Redfern N. Fatigue and its impact on performance and health. Br J Hosp Med. 2023;84 2:1–8.

Rohmatillah DTM, Syahputro D, Andriani AT. Analisis Faktor Risiko Low Back Pain Pada Pekerja Industri. CoMPHI Journal. 2023;4(1):51–9.

Luckhaupt S, Dahlhamer J, Gonzales G, Lu ML, Groenewold M, Sweeney M, et al. Prevalence, Recognition of Work-Relatedness, and Effect on Work of Low Back Pain Among U.S. Workers. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171:301–4.

Carregaro R, Tottoli C, Da Silva Rodrigues D, Bosmans J, Da Silva E, Van Tulder M. Low back pain should be considered a health and research priority in Brazil: Lost productivity and healthcare costs between 2012 to 2016. PLoS One. 2020;15.

Anselmo A, Pagano M, Cappadona I, Cardile D, Russo F, Laudisio A, et al. A Systematic Review on the Neuropsychological Assessment of Patients with LBP: The Impact of Chronic Pain on Quality of Life. J Clin Med. 2024;13.

Ganesan S, Acharya A, Chauhan R, Acharya S. Prevalence and Risk Factors for Low Back Pain in 1,355 Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study. Asian Spine J. 2017;11:610–7.

Rezaei B, Mousavi E, Heshmati B, Asadi S. Low back pain and its related risk factors in health care providers at hospitals: A systematic review. Annals of Medicine and Surgery [Internet]. 2021;70:1–8. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2021.102903

Mahdavi SB, Riahi R, Vahdatpour B, Kelishadi R. Association between sedentary behavior and low back pain; A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Promot Perspect. 2021;11(4):393–410.

Bento TPF, Genebra CV dos S, Maciel NM, Cornelio GP, Simeão SFAP, Vitta A de. Low back pain and some associated factors: is there any difference between genders? Braz J Phys Ther. 2020;24(1):79–87.

Rezaei B, Mousavi E, Heshmati B, Asadi S. Low back pain and its related risk factors in health care providers at hospitals: A systematic review. Annals of Medicine and Surgery. 2021 Oct;70:102903.

Shiri R, Falah‐Hassani K, Heliövaara M, Solovieva S, Amiri S, Lallukka T, et al. Risk Factors for Low Back Pain: A Population‐Based Longitudinal Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2019 Feb 29;71(2):290–9.

Barut AB. Evaluation Of Risk Factors Of Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain Applying To The Physical Therapy And Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic. International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH. 2021 Oct 7;9(9):265–70.

Zahra NAI, Sheha EAAE, Elsayed HA. Low Back Pain, Disability and Quality of Life among Health Care Workers. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Allied Sciences [Internet]. 2020;9(2):34–44. Available from: https://ijpras.com/article/low-back-pain-disability-and-quality-of-life-among-health-care-workers

Al Amer HS. Low back pain prevalence and risk factors among health workers in Saudi Arabia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Occup Health. 2020;62(1):1–23.

Amer H Al. Low back pain prevalence and risk factors among health workers in Saudi Arabia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. J Occup Health. 2020;62(1).

Ahmed N, Zahra I, Abd EA, Sheha E, Elsayed HA. Low Back Pain, Disability and Quality of Life among Health Care Workers. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Allied Sciences. 2000;9(2):34–44.

Setchell J, Costa N, Ferreira M, Makovey J, Nielsen M, Hodges PW. Individuals’ explanations for their persistent or recurrent low back pain: A cross-sectional survey. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2017;18(1):1–9.

Muhajir Muhajir, Nurwalmi Nurwalmi, Darwis Durahim, Syamsuddin Syamsuddin. Investigating The Link Between Sitting Habits And Low Back Pain In Administrative Staff: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Economics, Management and Accounting [Internet]. 2024 May 6;1(2):55–66. Available from: https://international.areai.or.id/index.php/IJEMA/article/view/39

Şimşek Ş, Yağcı N, Şenol H. Prevalence of and risk factors for low back pain among healthcare workers in Denizli. Agri. 2017;29(2):71–8.

Shirokov VA, Potaturko A V., Terekhov NL, Solodushkin SI. The Impact Of Occupational Risk Factors On The Development Of Lower Back Pain In Industrial Workers. Hygiene and sanitation. 2020 Jan 15;99(1):80–80.

Zazdravnykh EA, Kislitcyn D V., Alexandrova EA. Risk factors for lower back pain in working-class people: systematic review. Russian Journal of Occupational Health and Industrial Ecology. 2021 Mar 15;61(2):115–24.

Alaca N, Acar AÖ, Öztürk S. Low back pain and sitting time, posture and behavior in office workers: A scoping review. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2025 Sep 20;38(5):919–43.

Skundric G, Vukicevic V, Lukic N. Effects of Core Stability Exercises, Lumbar Lordosis and Low-Back Pain: A Systematic Review. Journal of Anthropology of Sport and Physical Education. 2021;5(1):17–23.

Mazloumi A, Kazemi Z, Mehrdad R, Vahedi Z, Hajizadeh L. Risk factors of low Back pain in Iranian workers during 2000-2015: a systematic review. International Journal of Occupational Hygiene [Internet]. 2020;12(3):239–56. Available from: https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/view/470

Alnaami I, Awadalla NJ, Alkhairy M, Alburidy S, Alqarni A, Algarni A, et al. Prevalence and factors associated with low back pain among health care workers in southwestern Saudi Arabia. BMC Musculoskelet Disord [Internet]. 2019 Dec 8;20(1):56. Available from: https://consensus.app/papers/prevalence-and-factors-associated-with-low-back-pain-among-alnaami-awadalla/f85d05df26885d25aefa3f64a187f192/

Rani L, Sukhera S, Siddique A, Shafiq H, Amjad F, Imtiaz R. Association of Low Back Pain with Sitting Patterns among Desk-Based Office Workers. THE THERAPIST (Journal of Therapies & Rehabilitation Sciences). 2024;5(4):30–3.

Leivas EG, Corrêa LA, Nogueira LAC. The relationship between low back pain and the basic lumbar posture at work: a retrospective cross-sectional study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2022 Jan 9;95(1):25–33.

Syaputra H, Nyorong M, Utami TN. Hubungan Faktor Individu Dan Postur Kerja Dengan Keluhan Low Back Pain Penjahit Kecamatan Medan Baru. MIRACLE Journal. 2022;2(1):19–29.

Andini F. Risk Factors of Low Back Pain in Workes. J MAJORITY. 2015;4(1):12–9.

Noli FJ, Sumampouw OJ, Ratag BT. Usia, Masa Kerja dan Keluhan Nyeri Punggung Bawah Pada Buruh Pabrik Tahu. Journal of Public Health and Community Medicine. 2021;2(1):15–21.

Etik Setyorini ES, Hanifah Noviandari. Pengaruh Tingkat Pendidikan dan Pengalaman Kerja terhadap Kinerja Karyawan. Jurnal EMA. 2020;5(1):12–20.

Sutanta, Hasbi H Al, Riyani D. Hubungan Frekuensi Hidroterapi (Poll Therapy) Dengan Tingkat Kekuatan Otot Pada Penderita Low Back Pain (LBP) di Umbul Tlatar Boyolali. Jurnal Kebidanan. 2021;13(01):104–16.

Kuśmierek P, Mikołajczyk M, Złotkowska D, Łowczak A, Mikołajczyk A. Low back pain prevention behaviors and beliefs among the Polish population in a cross-sectional survey. Front Public Health. 2024 May 30;12.

Chokwueze W. Efforts To Prevent Low Back Pain In Office Workers. Journal Wetenskap Health. 2023 Dec 20;4(4):1–7.

Wahyu AG, Sjarqiah U, Hasibuan RK, Syahniar R. Analisis Tingkat Pengetahuan Lansia terhadap Low Back Pain di Poli Rehabilitasi Medik Rumah Sakit Islam Jakarta Tahun 2022. Muhammadiyah Journal of Geriatric. 2023;4(2):163–72.

Febriani Y, Segita R, Olyverdi R, Studi DIIIFisioterapi Fakultas Kesehatan P. Hubungan Jenis Kelamin, Usia, Tinggi Sadel Dan Durasi Pesepeda Terhadapat Resikoterjadinya Nyeri Punggung Bawah. Physiomove Journal. 2022;1(1):10–7.

Halimah N, Fariz A. Efektivitas Muscle Energy Technique Kombinasi Strain Counter Strain pada Kasus Nyeri Punggung Bawah Non Spesifik. Journal of Muslim Community Health (JMCH). 2021;2(4):9–17.

Tanjung JR, Hanarko FA, Haryono IR. Hubungan Posisi Dan Durasi Duduk Terhadap Nyeri Punggung Bawah Pada Pekerja Kantor Di Jakarta. Damianus Journal of Medicine. 2023;22(1):61–8.

AZ R, Dayani H, Maulani M. Masa Kerja, Sikap Kerja Dan Jenis Kelamin Dengan Keluhan Nyeri Low Back Pain. REAL in Nursing Journal. 2019;2(2):66–71.

Kusumaningsih D, Yukhabilla AF, Sulistyani S, Setiawan I. Pengaruh Usia, Jenis Kelamin, Posisi Kerja Dan Durasi Duduk Terhadap Disabilitas Akibat Nyeri Punggung Bawah Pada Guru Sma Saat Work From Home Selama Pandemi Covid-19. Biomedika. 2022;14(1):81–9.

Gampu A, Ratag B, Warouw F. Hubungan Antara Masa Kerja Lama Kerja dan Posisi Kerja Duduk Dengan Keluhan Nyeri Punggung Pada Pengemudi Bus Terminal Kawangkoan Jurusan Kawangkoan-Manado. KESMAS: Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat Universitas Sam Ratulangi. 2017;6(3):1–10.

Astuti I, Rosady DS, Romadhona N, Achmad S, Kusmiati M. Nyeri Punggung Bawah serta Kebiasaan Merokok, Indeks Massa Tubuh, Masa Kerja, dan Beban Kerja pada Pengumpul Sampah. Jurnal Integrasi Kesehatan & Sains. 2019;1(1):74–8.

Sabola NEls, Wifaq K, Alruwaili MM, Sweelam RKM, El-Amrosy SH, Abdelwahed AY. Chronic lower back pain among occupational workers: effect of relaxation technique on quality of working life, pain and disability level with nurse-led intervention. BMC Nurs. 2025 Feb 3;24(1):122.

Bernaers L, Willems TM, Lam GH, Mahy M, Rusu D, Demoulin C, et al. Experiences and perceptions of employees and healthcare professionals on a multidisciplinary program for the secondary prevention of low back pain. Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 16;15(1):13091.

Kawaguchi M, Matsudaira K, Sawada T, Koga T, Ishizuka A, Isomura T, et al. Assessment of potential risk factors for new onset disabling low back pain in Japanese workers: findings from the CUPID (cultural and psychosocial influences on disability) study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2017 Dec 2;18(1):334.

Muhajir Muhajir, Nurwalmi Nurwalmi, Darwis Durahim, Syamsuddin Syamsuddin. Investigating The Link Between Sitting Habits And Low Back Pain In Administrative Staff: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Economics, Management and Accounting. 2024 May 6;1(2):55–66.

Goncharenko IM, Komleva NE, Chekhonatsky AA. Lower back pain at workplace: prevalence and risk factors. Russian Open Medical Journal. 2020 Jun 30;9(2).

Maretha C, Astika F. Tinjauan Keakuratan Pengkodean Penyakit Dengan Dignosa Low Back Pain Berdasarkan Icd-10 Di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Indrasari Rengat. … : Journal of Hospital Management and … [Internet]. 2020; Available from: http://journal.al-matani.com/index.php/jhmhs/article/view/82

Oresye B, Haryuni S, Jayani I. Pengaruh air jahe terhadap low back pain pada pekerja sawit. Jurnal Mahasiswa Kesehatan [Internet]. 2020; Available from: https://ojs.unik-kediri.ac.id/index.php/jumakes/article/view/758

Anggraika P, Apriany A, Pujiana D, ... Hubungan Posisi Duduk Dengan Kejadian Low Back Pain (Lbp) Pada Pegawai Stikes [Internet]. Jurnal’Aisyiyah Medika. academia.edu; 2019. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/download/70820436/205.pdf

Latifah M, Citrawati M, ... Hubungan Posisi Duduk dan Lama Duduk dengan Low Back Pain pada Pekerja Sektor Industri: Tinjauan Sistematis. In: Seminar Nasional Riset Kedokteran [Internet]. Jakarta: conference.upnvj.ac.id; 2022. p. 17–29. Available from: https://conference.upnvj.ac.id/index.php/sensorik/article/view/2067

Latipah S, Sa’adah NS, Ahmad SNA. Determinan Lama Duduk Dan Posisi Duduk Pada Kejadian Low Back Pain Karyawan Pabrik Sablon. Jurnal JKFT [Internet]. 2022; Available from: http://jurnal.umt.ac.id/index.php/jkft/article/view/5821

Prastuti B, Sintia I, Ningsih KW. Hubungan lama kerja dan posisi duduk terhadap kejadian low back pain pada penjahit di Kota Pekanbaru. Jurnal Endurance … [Internet]. 2020;5(2):375–82. Available from: https://repository.payungnegeri.ac.id/uploads/karyailmiahdosen/4431-19395-1-PB.pdf

Corputty DY, Amat ALS, ... Hubungan Lama Duduk Dan Stres Kerja Dengan Low Back Pain Pada Karyawan Bank Di Kota Atambua. Cendana Medical … [Internet]. 2021;9(1):94–101. Available from: https://ejurnal.undana.ac.id/CMJ/article/view/4941

De Carvalho DE, de Luca K, Funabashi M, Breen A, Wong AYL, Johansson MS, et al. Association of Exposures to Seated Postures With Immediate Increases in Back Pain: A Systematic Review of Studies With Objectively Measured Sitting Time. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2020 Jan;43(1):1–12.

Baradaran Mahdavi S, Riahi R, Vahdatpour B, Kelishadi R. Association between sedentary behavior and low back pain; A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Promot Perspect. 2021 Dec 19;11(4):393–410.