Magnitude and influencing factors of work-related low back pain among high school teachers in West Arsi zone, Southwest Ethiopia: evidenced from multicentred cross-sectional study

Objective This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of low back pain and its associated factors among high school teachers in the West Arsi zone, Southwest Ethiopia.Design A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2020. A self-administered structured Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to assess low back pain during the past 12 months. Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was carried out using Stata V.14. The degree of significance was obtained at a 95% CI and p<0.05.Setting The study was conducted in the West Arsi zone, Ethiopia.Participants A total of 602 teachers participated in this study.Outcome measures The primary outcome is the prevalence of low back pain.Results The prevalence of low back pain during the last 12 months was found to be 63.73% (95% CI 59.77% to 67.70%). About 225 (39.61%) teachers experienced moderate pain, and (89.79%) of them had a minimal disability. Being unmarried (adjusted OR (AOR) 0.47, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.79), prolonged standing (AOR 2.31, 95% CI 1.16 to 4.60), sleeping disturbance (AOR 3.22, 95% CI 1.41 to 7.36), regular physical activity (AOR 0.52, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.84), current smoker (AOR 2.83, 95% CI 1.04 to 7.67), lifting heavy load (AOR 1.96, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.28), psychological job demand (AOR 2.86, 95% CI 1.69 to 4.84) and job satisfaction (AOR 0.46, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.79) were associated with low back pain.Conclusion The prevalence of low back pain was high in this study. Prolonged standing, sleep disruption, heavy load lifting, cigarette smoking and psychological job demand were risk factors for low back pain. Physical exercise and workplace satisfaction were effective interventions. Emphasis should now be put on ergonomics, regular physical activity and psychosocial factors to lessen the problem

Selection of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Native Tree Species for Rehabilitation of Degraded Arid Lands in Southeast Ethiopia

The large-scale commercial agriculture, mining, expansion of sedentary agricultural settlements, and overgrazing in Ethiopian pastoral areas have become a major cause of land degradation. Such activities reduce grazing capacities and impoverish already fragile living conditions of the pastoralists. Such an increase in land degradations necessitates urgent calls for interventions. The main objectives of this study were to select the best performing soil and water conservation technologies and native tree species to restore degraded lands of arid and semiarid conditions in Liben District of Guji Zone, Oromia Reginal State, Ethiopia. Four locally grown and locally preferred tree species, namely, Cordia africana, Acacia tortilis, Acacia goetzei, and Combretum molle, were planted in five soil and moisture conservation structures (control, half-moon, spot hoeing, mowing, and trench). The survival rate and height and root collar diameter (RCD) growth of planted tree species were collected two years after planting. A significantly higher survival rate, RCD, and height growth of planted seedlings were recorded from half-moon (52.44 ± 12.48%; 1.66 ± 0.31 cm; 51.57 ± 2.79 cm) and trench (64.00 ± 11.49%; 1.92 ± 0.27; 69.67 ± 2.62 cm) moisture conservation structures, respectively. Acacia tortilis (58.22 ± 12.38%) and Acacia goetzei (42.99 ± 8.81%) had better survival rate than Cordia africana (4.00 ± 1.91%) and Combretum molle (24.22 ± 7.34). Cordia africana attained the largest RCD (2.50 ± 0.34 cm) and height (95.83 ± 17.25 cm) growth, followed by Acacia tortilis and Acacia goetzei. It is concluded that Acacia tortilis and Acacia goetzei are better species to grow in degraded lands. The half-moon and trench moisture conservation structures have a great potential for degraded areas of the arid and semiarid conditions of Ethiopia for better tree establishment, survival, and enhanced growth thereby rehabilitation of degraded lands