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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2023 Dec 17;230(6):583–599.e16. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.12.014

TABLE 3.

Occupational postural load and back and/or pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy or postpartum

Author, Year Design Overall Exposure Assessment Postural Definition Effect measure Effect Size Outcome

Utility Freq Timing Reference Categories (95% CI)

Caputo, 202136 Cross-sectional ++ 1 Retrospective (at delivery) Not defined Mean hours standing Adj OR
Adj MD
1.03 (0.99, 1.06)
0.05 (−0.003, 0.10)
LBP during pregnancy (0, 1)
LBP severity during
pregnancy (0–10)

Stomp-van den Berg, 201227 Prospective cohort ++ 1 30 GW Mainly sitting
Not defined
Standing or mixed standing/sitting
Uncomfortable posture (NOS)
cOR
Adj OR
1.14 (0.73, 1.80)
1.31 (1.04, 1.65)
Postpartum PGP 12 weeks after delivery

To, 200329 Prospective cohort 0 1 Retrospective, within 3 days postnatal Not defined
Stand<4h/day
walk<4 h/day
Static posture
Standing >4 h/day
Walking >4 h/day
cORs 1.47 (0.75–2.87)
2.40 (0.89–6.43)
3.47 (0.79–15.10)
Back pain during pregnancy

Cheng, 200937 Cross-sectional 0 2 20 and 34 GW Less time walking A lot of work time:
Walking (1–7)
Correlation coefficient −0.071 (20 GW) Functionally limiting back pain at 20 and at 34 GW (0–10)
Less time standing Standing (1–7) −0.235 (34 GW)
0.006 (20 GW)
−0.108 (34 GW)

Juhl, 200535 Case-control + 1 12–16 GW Mostly sitting
Mostly sitting
Predominantly standing or walking
Mix of sitting, standing, and walking
Adj OR 1.04 (0.80, 1.35)
1.02 (0.83, 1.25)
Functionally limiting PGP during pregnancy (0, 1)

Larsen, 199930 Prospective cohort + 1 16 GW Not defined Uncomfortable posture (NOS) Adj OR 1.65 (1.10, 2.48) Functionally limiting PGP during pregnancy (0, 1)

Endresen, 199538 Cross-sectional + 1 Retrospective (at delivery) Not defined Hourly twist & bend
Work > shoulder
Bending forward
Standing, walking
Adj β 0.069 (2.13)
0.064 (3.23)
0.046 (3.09)
NS (NR)
LBP/PGP during pregnancy (0, 1)

LBP (0, 1)

Adj, adjusted; CI, confidence interval; cOR, crude odds ratio; Freq, frequency; GW, gestational weeks; h, hours; LBP, low back pain; LBP/PGP, low back and pelvic girdle pain combined; NOS, not otherwise specified; NR, not reported; NS, not statistically significant; OR, odds ratio; PGP, pelvic girdle pain; (0, 1), outcome (no, yes).