ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Low back pain is a common symptom among the general population and among manual workers, contributing to high rates of absenteeism and a decrease in overall quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of low back pain in Port of Santos workers, its influence on overall quality of life, physical activity level, and associated absenteeism rate. METHODS: This cross-sectional prevalence study was based on prospective data collection. RESULTS: Eighty-two port workers were interviewed, 97.6% were male, and mean age was 42.9 years. Ethnically, 37.8% reported being brown. Most had completed high school. Longshoreman was the most common occupation, followed by foreman, tallyman, and others. A 44-hour workweek was the most frequent (31.3%), and over 85% of workers reported not working overtime. Most of them were not paid on a production basis. Formal employment, according to Brazilian Labor Law, was 70.7%, and union membership was 64.6%. The mean time working at the port was 11.9 years (standard deviation ± 12.5). Occupational low back pain was reported by 17% of respondents, leading to an absenteeism rate of 19.7%. Physical activities helped improve the feeling of vitality for work performance. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of low back pain among respondents was 17%, not influencing their quality of life, with an absenteeism rate of 19.7%. Doing physical activities was common among respondents.