BACKS 2020: Criteria for Occupational Spine Disease in a Social Security Compensation System

BACKGROUND: Previously of work-related chronic low back pain has been established. With development of new understanding of medical science, better and improved requirements were needed in defining occupational spine disease. OBJECTIVES: To identify the variables that would be associated with occupational spine diseases. To develop an objective measurement in determining occupational spine diseases using the relationships of these variables. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Workers registered for low back pain claims for chronic work-related compensation in Malaysia from 2017 to 2018. PARTICIPANTS: Workers who were between 20 to 60 years old that had previously submitted claims for chronic low back pain. MEASUREMENTS: Workers who applied for employment injury scheme, based on history of chronic low and had their applications reviewed by the Social Security Medical Board. Subjected were then interviewed at their workplace using the BACKS prototype questionnaire that had incorporated the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). RESULTS: 200 workers were interviewed (mean age 41.7, SD: 8.12 years old). Linear regression analysis identified that chronic occupational back pain was associated with absence of disc bulge, history of accident or fall, smoking behaviour and individuals with non-communicable diseases (p < 0.05). Increasing age in the form of increased exposure to manual labour over years was also associated to occupational low back pain. These variables explained 78.5% of their relationship in determining chronic occupational low back pain. LIMITATIONS: The interview relied on workers recollection of their workplace. The recall bias was reduced using the aids of the BACKS questionnaire to illustrate their previous working conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Manual labour workers that were involved with significant chronic back disabilities, lifting and twisting objects along with colleagues whom had similar past spinal injuries at work were criteria for occupational spinal disease.