Prevalence of low back pain in professional drivers: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

This meta-review aimed to investigate the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in professional drivers.

STUDY

DESIGN

This study is a meta-analysis.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of LBP in professional drivers up to August 2023. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was utilized for cross-sectional analytical studies. Statistical analysis of the included outcome indicators was conducted using Stata 16.0. The prevalence of LBP among professional drivers was measured using the random effects model, and heterogeneity was evaluated utilizing subgroup analysis. This meta-analysis review was registered with PROSPERO on April 28, 2023, under the registration number CRD42023422205.

RESULTS

In total, 1, 558 results met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 53 studies were included. The meta-analysis results indicated that professional drivers had a LBP prevalence of 35.0%, 95%CI (0.266, 0.433) for one week, 33.80%, 95%CI (0.233, 0.443) for one month, and 55.30%, 95%CI (0.503,0.603) for one year. In the global population of professional drivers, the prevalence of LBP was 56.0%, 95%CI (0.472, 0.648) and 54.5%, 95%CI (0.488, 0.602) without and with a history and high risk of LBP, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

LBP remains prevalent among international drivers and has multiple contributing factors, highlighting the urgent need for increased awareness and prevention strategies.