Resumen:
Introduction: Low back pain is a prevalent condition that has a health, social and occupational impact. The aim of this study is to assess the influence of social and occupational factors on patients that suffer from low back pain due to work. Method: A descriptive study was conducted on 349 subjects with low back pain. The main independent variable was manual or non-manual worker, and other social-occupational and lifestyle variables were also collected. The disability level was obtained using Oswestry scale-questionnaire, and the association between the type of job and the test was evaluated using multiple linear regressions. Results: The manual workers smoked more (47%), had more pain (74.3%), a worse economic situation (89.3%), consumed more drugs (57.7%), had limitations in walking (17.5%) and standing (25.6%), used carrying protocols (85.5%), made and repeated movements (77.4%). They made trunk (52.6%) and upper limb movements (24.8%), and received less preventive training (51.7%), but used low back protection (19.6%). The non-manual workers had greater limitation in carrying loads (37.4%) and sitting (43.5%), and computer screen user protocols were applied (94.8%), and had lower social class level (57.1 low-middle class). Performing manual tasks at work is significantly associated with an increase of 2 points in the Oswestry test compared to non-manual ones, when adjusted for age and gender (coefficient ß: 2, 95% CI: 0.6 -3.36) Conclusion: Low back pain is a prevalent condition, with an unfavourable prognosis that has an individual, social, and occupational impact. Performing manual tasks is associated with an increase in the disability scale, regardless of age and gender.
