Occupational and health-related risk factors for incident and recurrent back disorders in Danish fishers – a register-based study

Abstract Background Fishers are at risk of back disorders due to their physically demanding work. The aim was to investigate risk factors for back disorders in fishers in Denmark. Methods All male Danish registered fishers between 1994 and 2017 were included. ICD-10 codes classified back disorders (M40-M54* and DM99.1-4*). A multistate model on a cause-specific cox regression model was conducted. Results Of 13,165 fishers included, 16% had a hospital contact with an incident back disorder and 52% at least had one recurrent episode. Having worked in another occupation (HR 1.14 (95%CI: 1.02,1.27)) and another musculoskeletal disorder (HR 1.84 (95%CI: 1.69,2.01)) were significant risk factors for the incident back disorder. No risk factors were seen for recurrent episodes. Conclusions Risk factors for incident and recurrent back disorders were different, thus episode specific initiatives are needed to reduce back disorders among fishers.