Occupational Related Upper and Low Back Pain Among Working Population of Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Background : Occupational-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major public health problem and result in the growing demands for utilization of healthcare services, causing temporary and permanent disability and reduced quality of life. In developing countries, particularly Ethiopia, there is no adequate evidence on the overall prevalence of occupational-related MSDs and remains less prioritized and empirically unrepresented. Thus, this study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of occupational-related musculoskeletal disorders, particularly low and upper back pain among the working population of Ethiopia. Methods : This systematic review and meta-analysis considered studies conducted in Ethiopia, written in English, and published in 2017-2020. The articles were searched using the following electronic databases such as Web of Science, SCOPUS, PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, African Index Medicus, African Journals Online database, and Science directly using a combination of Boolean logic operators, Medical Subject Headings, and main keywords. The quality assessment of the articles was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools to determine the relevance of the articles to the study. Results : In the current study, the pooled prevalence of occupational-related upper and lower back pain in the previous year was 27.1% [95% of the CI: 18.4, 37.9%] and 54.2% [95% of the CI: 48.2, 60.0%], respectively. However, the pooled prevalence of occupational-related upper back pain in the previous year according to the publication year, the study population and the study area was 43.8% [95% of CI: 39.3, 47.7%], 34.7%[95% of CI: 33.1, 36.2%] and 36.2% [95% of CI: 33.6, 39.0%] respectively while the prevalence of low back pain in the previous year according to the publication year, the study population and the study area was 61.8% [95% of CI: 58.9, 64.6%], 52.8% [95% of CI: 51.3, 54.3%] and 55.2% [95% of CI: 51.4, 59.0%] respectively. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis found that more than half of the included study participants had experienced low back pain in the previous year, while more than one-fourth of the included participants had experienced upper back pain. Therefore, the application of occupational health and safety practices in the workplace plays an important role in reducing MSDs related to work and other occupational hazards.