The volume of occupational physical activity, lower back pain and workload among route salespeople in the beverage vending machine industry: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: We conducted a cross-sectional study to clarify the workload of route salespeople in beverage sales for vending-machines in Japan. Specifically, we examined the volume of occupational physical activity (PA) as an objective measure of workload and physical pain as a subjective measure of workload, and assessed whether an association was observed between physical pain and the estimated number of years the employee wanted to continue to work.

METHODS: Of 264 participants who engaged in route sales, thirty participants were asked to wear a triaxial accelerometer to measure PA during working hours, and 234 were observed for workload and physical pain using a questionnaire.

RESULTS: The average occupational PA was 12,010 ± 3,160 steps/day, 2.45 ± 0.19 PA levels/day, and 507.5 ± 245.1 moderate to vigorous PA minutes/week. Half the participants reported lower back pain (LBP) and perceived a demanding workload. Participants who had LBP and had been with the company for more than 10 years perceived heavier workloads and estimated a shorter length of future service than those without LBP and more than 10 years in the company.

CONCLUSION: This study implies that route salespeople employed in the beverage vending machine industry are subjected to a high volume of physical activity and experience physical discomfort, particularly LBP. The nature of work involved in beverage sales for vending-machines necessitates a workload classification ranging from moderate-to-high based on both subjective and objective workload criteria.