Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23152793›Full record

ArticlePloS one2012

Development and validation of a job exposure matrix for physical risk factors in low back pain.

Svetlana Solovieva, Irmeli Pehkonen, Johanna Kausto, Helena Miranda, Rahman Shiri, Timo Kauppinen, Markku Heliövaara, Alex Burdorf, Kirsti Husgafvel-Pursiainen, Eira Viikari-Juntura

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
45citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

45 citing papers in PubMed, 73 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. Physical activity and risk of workplace and commuting injuries: a cohort study.Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health · 2024
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  15. Modelling the global economic costs of tobacco product waste.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2022
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Physical work exposure matrix for use in the UK Biobank.Occupational medicine (Oxford, England) · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Svetlana SolovievaCentre of Expertise for Health and Work Ability, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland. svetlana.solovieva@ttl.fi
Irmeli Pehkonen
Johanna Kausto
Helena Miranda
Rahman Shiri
Timo Kauppinen
Markku Heliövaara
Alex Burdorf
Kirsti Husgafvel-Pursiainen
Eira Viikari-Juntura
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health · FIFinnish Institute for Health and Welfare · FIRotterdam University of Applied Sciences · NLTampere University · FI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe aim was to construct and validate a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM) for physical exposures to be used in epidemiological studies of low back pain (LBP). MATERIALS AND

methodsWe utilized two large Finnish population surveys, one to construct the JEM and another to test matrix validity. The exposure axis of the matrix included exposures relevant to LBP (heavy physical work, heavy lifting, awkward trunk posture and whole body vibration) and exposures that increase the biomechanical load on the low back (arm elevation) or those that in combination with other known risk factors could be related to LBP (kneeling or squatting). Job titles with similar work tasks and exposures were grouped. Exposure information was based on face-to-face interviews. Validity of the matrix was explored by comparing the JEM (group-based) binary measures with individual-based measures. The predictive validity of the matrix against LBP was evaluated by comparing the associations of the group-based (JEM) exposures with those of individual-based exposures.

resultsThe matrix includes 348 job titles, representing 81% of all Finnish job titles in the early 2000s. The specificity of the constructed matrix was good, especially in women. The validity measured with kappa-statistic ranged from good to poor, being fair for most exposures. In men, all group-based (JEM) exposures were statistically significantly associated with one-month prevalence of LBP. In women, four out of six group-based exposures showed an association with LBP.

conclusionsThe gender-specific JEM for physical exposures showed relatively high specificity without compromising sensitivity. The matrix can therefore be considered as a valid instrument for exposure assessment in large-scale epidemiological studies, when more precise but more labour-intensive methods are not feasible. Although the matrix was based on Finnish data we foresee that it could be applicable, with some modifications, in other countries with a similar level of technology.

Indexed as

Occupational ExposureAdolescentAdultFemaleHealth SurveysHumansLow Back PainMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceReproducibility of ResultsRisk FactorsSex FactorsYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID23152793
PMCPMC3495969
OpenAlexW2032297704

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.