Structural equation modelling of lower back pain due to whole-body vibration exposure in the construction industry

Abstract

Whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure is a health hazard among workers, causing lower back pain (LBP) in the construction industry. This study examines key factors affecting LBP due to WBV exposure using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results confirm five key factors (equipment, job related, organizational, personal, social context) with their 17 associated items. The organizational factor is found the most important, as it influences the other four factors. The results also show that appropriate seat type, specific training programme, job rotation, workers’ satisfaction and workers’ physical condition are crucial in reducing LBP due to WBV exposure. Moreover, provision of new machines without proper training and good working condition might not help reduce LBP due to WBV exposure. The results help the construction companies to better understand key factors affecting LBP due to WBV exposure, and to plan for a better health improvement programme.

Keywords:

• exploratory factor analysis
• lower back pain
• structural equation modelling
• whole-body vibration exposure

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Vitharanage Hashini Paramitha Vitharana http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4773-7870

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank the EFS (Excellence Foreign Student) scholarship programme via Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT), Thammasat University, Thailand for making this study financially possible.