Psychosocial work factors and low back pain in taxi drivers

Introduction: Taxi drivers are at high risk for low back pain (LBP). Aim: Identify the association between psychosocial-work factors (Job strain, Iso-strain, effort-reward imbalance [ERI], unfairness, and mental exertion) and LBP in taxi drivers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done with 129 taxi drivers. Results: Approximately 63% reported LBP in the prior 12 months. Chi square or t-test analyses identified the associations between demographic, work, health, and psychosocial work factors, and self-report of LBP in the prior 12 months. Depression, perceived physical exertion, dispatcher and manager support, unfair treatment at work, and unfair treatment due to nationality were significantly associated with LBP in bivariate analyses. Multivariate logistic regression was done to identify the predictors of LBP. High dispatcher support remained the sole significant predictor for lower prevalence of LBP (OR = 0.66, P = 0.017). Conclusion: Greater understanding of psychosocial work factors may aid in developing interventions to prevent LBP in taxi drivers.