Study of Low Back Flexibility among Insurance Office Employees Using Sit and Reach Test

Abstract

Abstract

The job of insurance employees demands prolonged sitting in the office and they are overworked, which reduces flexibility of body and increases the body mass index (BMI), causing musculoskeletal pain through constant stress on the musculoskeletal system. The aim of the study is to estimate the level of flexibility among insurance office employees and to analyze the factors responsible for the low flexibility. The survey was carried out at various insurance offices in Punjab (India). The population consists of 400 insurance office employees which is studied using questionnaire about personal and demographic factors regarding height, weight, BMI, age and gender and also sit and reach test was employed using sit and reach test box for finding the level of flexibility. Chi square tests were performed to analyse the association of the factors with the flexibility level. The level of low back flexibility score among the population was categorized as poor, fair, average, good and excellent which is found to be 2.25, 22, 34, 34 and 7.75% respectively. The 44.64% population of having age between 41 and 45 years, were experiencing flexibility below the average and 29.2% workers having age more than 45 years were experiencing average level of flexibility. The 27% male workers were experiencing below the average level of flexibility and 34.69% were having average level of flexibility. All the workers having BMI more than 30 (obese) were experiencing below the average flexibility. The low level of flexibility is strongly associated with the high BMI, age and working environment and perception of workplace ergonomics. The prevalence of decrease in body flexibility will result in decrease in the health and safety standards of the workers of insurance office.

Keywords: Low back flexibility, BMI, sit and reach test, musculoskeletal pain, insurance office employees

Cite this Article

Harbir Singh, Lakhwinder Pal Singh. Study of Low Back Flexibility among Insurance Office Employees Using Sit and Reach Test. Journal of Industrial Safety Engineering. 2018; 5(1): 13–17p.                                     employees