Time to put OH research into public policy

• Published in: Occupational health Vol. 69; no. 11; pp. 8 - 9
• Main Author: Pahl, Nick
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sutton DVV Media International Ltd 01.11.2017
• Subjects: Back pain; Core curriculum; Employment; Funding; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Hypotheses; Medical malpractice; Medical research; Medicine; Nurses; Occupational health; Public health; Public policy; Researchers; Workers
• ISSN: 2397-1223

A recent high-level symposium suggests it is time to put occupational health research into public health policy. SOM chief executive Nic Pahl reports on the conference and asks if the mismatch between evidence and policy can be addressed. Occupational health epidemiologists from across the world met at the International Symposium on Epidemiology in Occupational Health (EPICOH) conference in Edinburgh in August to present their latest research and review research needs in the future. One research area was lower back pain. Professor David Coggon, who received a well-deserved lifetime achievement award from EPICOH at the conference, presented statistics about UK rates of sickness absence and invalidity benefit due to back pain.During the 40 years from 1955 to 1995, rates increased eight-fold (they have fallen back a little since). This was despite a reduction in the physical requirements of work - with the increase in employment in the service sector reducing the historical risks of loading, heavy lifting and frequent bending or twisting. Coggon stated that back pain should be seen as an illness rather than a disease, with psychological factors having a significant impact, due to low mood, a somatising tendency, fear-avoidance beliefs and psychosocial aspects of work.