Driving the prevention of low back pain in police officers: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION

Police officers spend a lot of time at work seated in a patrol car. Being seated for hours can cause low back pain (LBP) and is documented as sedentary behaviour, and the risk of work injuries related to LBP grows for police officers as a result of equipment and individual factors. This can result in an increase in health and safety costs for organizations and has a negative impact on quality of life. This systematic review 1) evaluated the risks associated with police patrolling while considering external factors that could influence a police officer's well-being and 2) identified solutions to improve posture while seated in vehicles and discerned preventive measures that can be implemented to alleviate LBP.

METHODS

A systematic review focused on LBP in police officers was conducted. PubMed, Scopus, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, and Military Medicine were searched for articles published between January 1990 and December 2022.

RESULTS

Of 1,169 articles initially identified, 104 met the criteria for full-text review. Twenty-one articles specifically discussed LBP in police officers, vehicle ergonomics, training programs, and health habits.

DISCUSSION: To minimize LBP, analyzing optimal positions for the mobile data terminal, raising awareness among police officers (civilian and military), offering preventive or corrective training programs for trunk musculature, having multidisciplinary teams in organizations, and participating in regular physical activity could have positive effects on preventing LBP.