Atalay Yibeltal Assefa, Gebeyehu Natnael Atnafu, Gelaw Kelemu Abebe
School of Public Health, College of Health Science and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia.
School of Midwifery, College of Health Science and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia.
J Occup Med Toxicol. 2024 Oct 18;19(1):39. doi: 10.1186/s12995-024-00438-1.
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders represent a major public health problem, contributing significantly to the global burden of disability-adjusted life years and affecting the quality of life of all population groups. The main problem in most musculoskeletal disorders is low back pain. Therefore, our study aims to identify the overall prevalence of work-related low back pain among the working population in sub-Saharan Africa.
Research published between 2010 and 2023 in English, conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa was included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Using Boolean logic operators and targeted keywords, we searched for publications on a number of electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journals Online (AJOL), and Science Direct). The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal techniques were utilized to conduct a quality assessment of the papers and ascertain their relevance to the study. The degree of heterogeneity among the included studies, the 95% confidence interval, and the pooled prevalence were estimated using a random effects model. Sensitivity studies were carried out to determine the causes of heterogeneity and the impact of outliers.
In this study, a total of 970 articles were retrieved, and 35 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The overall estimated pooled prevalence of low back pain among the working population in sub-Saharan Africa was (55.05% [95% CI: 49.34, 60.76]). Based on a sub-group analysis by countries, the higher pooled prevalence of low back pain was found in Uganda at (61.48% [95% CI: 40.39, 82.57]), while the lower pooled prevalence of low back pain was in Ghana at (34.48% [95% CI: 17.96, 51.01]).
This systematic review and meta-analysis found that 55.05% of the included study participants experienced low back pain in the previous years. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers incorporate and enhance strategies for the prevention and management of low back pain within the health system management guidelines of each country.
与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病是一个重大的公共卫生问题，对全球残疾调整生命年负担有重大影响，并影响所有人群的生活质量。大多数肌肉骨骼疾病的主要问题是腰痛。因此，我们的研究旨在确定撒哈拉以南非洲工作人群中与工作相关的腰痛的总体患病率。
本系统评价和荟萃分析纳入了2010年至2023年间在撒哈拉以南非洲以英文发表的研究。使用布尔逻辑运算符和目标关键词，我们在多个电子数据库（科学网、PubMed、谷歌学术、非洲期刊在线（AJOL）和科学Direct）中搜索出版物。利用乔安娜·布里格斯研究所的批判性评价技术对论文进行质量评估，并确定其与研究的相关性。使用随机效应模型估计纳入研究之间的异质性程度、95%置信区间和合并患病率。进行敏感性研究以确定异质性的原因和异常值的影响。
在本研究中，共检索到970篇文章，35项研究纳入系统评价和荟萃分析。撒哈拉以南非洲工作人群中腰痛的总体估计合并患病率为（55.05%[95%CI：49.34，60.76]）。根据国家亚组分析，乌干达腰痛的合并患病率较高，为（61.48%[95%CI：40.39，82.57]），而加纳腰痛的合并患病率较低，为（34.48%[95%CI：17.96，51.01]）。
本系统评价和荟萃分析发现，55.05%的纳入研究参与者在前几年经历过腰痛。因此，建议政策制定者在每个国家的卫生系统管理指南中纳入并加强腰痛的预防和管理策略。
