Back pain and work-related functional disabilities: records from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN/DATASUS)

Abstract

Introduction:

back pain and disabilities are occupational health problems with economic and social repercussions.

Objective:

to describe the reported cases of back pain and functional disability in Brazil.

Methods:

case series study of work-related back pain registered as Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), Ministry of Health, in Brazil, from 2007 to 2012. Incidence rates (IR) for back pain and permanent disabilities were calculated as well as frequencies of sociodemographic and occupational variables.

Results:

8,172 back pain cases were registered in the period. The IR of back pain was 1.1 per 100,000 workers in 2007 and 1.9 per 100,000 workers in 2012, and the IR of work-related functional disability was 0.12 per 100,000 in 2007 and 0.10 per 100,000 in 2012. Industrial goods and services workers and services workers/retail salespersons showed the highest percentages for back pains (54.4% and 20.7%) and permanent functional disability (54.7% and 16.3%).

Conclusions:

The increase in reports of occupational back pain and the reduction of functional disabilities represent an advance regarding the recognition, diagnosis, notification and attention to the problem, but are still a challenge to workers' health care.

Keywords:
occupational diseases; workers' health surveillance; back pain; WMSD