Background: Low back disorders are among the most common health problems in industrialized societies. We examined the relationship between occupational exposures and severe lumbar intervertebral disc disorders (LIDD).
Methods: Information on inpatient care for LIDD (ICD-10: M51.1-51.9) in Finnish hospitals during 1996 was linked with the 1995 Population Census, and based on occupational title with the Finnish Job Exposure Matrix and the Occupational Lifestyle Matrix. There were 3,863 individuals hospitalized due to LIDD among occupationally active Finns. Poisson regression analyses were made with the total occupationally active population as reference.
Results: In a multivariate analysis in women, accident risk, job control, and three-shift work were associated with hospitalization, together with age, education, personal income, and average body mass index (BMI) by occupation. In men, accident risk and job control were associated with hospital admissions, allowing for age, education, and income.
Conclusions: Accident risk and job control increased the risk of hospitalization for LIDD in both sexes. Three-shift work and BMI were also predictive of hospital admission among women.
Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.