Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32810918›Full record

SynthesisJournal of occupational health2020

Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among professional drivers: A systematic review.

Leonard Joseph, Miles Standen, Aatit Paungmali, Raija Kuisma, Patraporn Sitilertpisan, Ubon Pirunsan

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of occupational health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
7.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% 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

34 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 93 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Sedentary behavior and activity patterns in Swedish log truck drivers - a descriptive cross-sectional study.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2026
    Article
  8. Observational
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Leonard JosephSchool of Health Sciences, University of Brighton, East Sussex, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9356-7177
Miles StandenSchool of Health Sciences, University of Brighton, East Sussex, UK.
Aatit PaungmaliDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Raija KuismaKarelia University of Applied Sciences, Joensuu, Finland.
Patraporn SitilertpisanDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Ubon PirunsanDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Chiang Mai University · THUniversity of Brighton · GBKarelia University of Applied Sciences · FI

Funding

University of Brighton
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesProfessional drivers are at high risk of developing musculoskeletal pain (MSP) due to risk factors such as prolonged sitting, whole body vibration, awkward posture, and repetitive actions. This review investigates the reported prevalence of MSP among professional drivers.

methodsAn electronic search of Medline (1946 + via OvidSP), Embase (1974 + OvidSP), CINAHL (1982+), AMED, PubMed, and Web of Science from 1990 to July 2019 was performed. Methodological quality of studies was assessed using three quality assessment tools for cross-sectional, case-control, and prospective cohort studies. The prevalence of MSP was reported using descriptive analysis.

resultsA total of 56 studies conducted in 23 different countries across a total of 14 types of occupational transport were reviewed. Data of a total pooled population of 18 882 professional drivers were analyzed for MSP. The prevalence of MSP ranged between 43.1% and 93%. The low back was the most frequently reported body region for MSP with a meta-prevalence rate of 53% (N = 9998). Neck, shoulder, and upper back were the other common regions with high prevalence.

conclusionThere is a high prevalence of MSP in professional drivers and low back was the most frequently reported body region, followed by neck, upper back, shoulder, knee, hip/thigh, wrist, ankle, and elbow. MSP is complicated in nature and therefore in-depth exploration of causal relationships between MSP and risk factors is necessary so that appropriate healthcare programs can be initiated to prevent and treat MSP effectively.

Indexed as

Automobile DrivingHumansMusculoskeletal PainOccupational DiseasesRisk Factorsmusculoskeletal painoccupational healthprevalenceprofessional driversrehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID32810918
PMCPMC7434558
OpenAlexW3080914362

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.