RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORK POSTURE AND CORE MUSCLE WEAKNESS WITH LOWER BACK DISABILITY AMONG BANKERS. CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Banking workers are subjected to prolonged sitting and non-ergonomic working postures, which can lead to musculoskeletal issues, reducing core muscle endurance and resulting in low back discomfort. Core muscular weakness reduces spinal stability, which contribute to functional impairment. Understanding the association between work posture and core muscle strength is critical for addressing lower back pain among bankers. Objective: To determine the relationship between work posture and core muscle weakness with lower back disability among bankers. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of 109 bankers aged 20 to 50 years was undertaken using a purposive sampling technique. Participants who worked more than 6 hours each day and experienced low back discomfort were included. Data were collected including the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) for posture evaluation and the Modified Oswestry Disability Index (MODI) for disability assessment. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 27. Results: The findings showed the average age of participants was 35.73 ± 8.58 years, with both males (54.1%) and females (45.9%). Postural assessments revealed that a large majority of participants had suboptimal working postures, such as bent trunks, twisted stances, and unstable leg posture. The MODI results revealed moderate to severe disability among participants, primarily affecting daily tasks such as sitting, standing, and traveling. Work posture has a significant positive correlation with lower back impairment (r = 0.735, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The study concludes that poor work posture is significantly associated with lower back impairment among bankers. Core muscular weakness and prolonged sitting both contribute to increasing impairment. Improving posture and workplace ergonomics may assist to reduce lower back pain in this population.