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Table BACKOCC2 - 2005/06

Estimated prevalence and rates of self-reported musculoskeletal disorders mainly affecting the back caused or made worse by current or most recent job, by occupational major group, for people working in the last 12 months.

Occupation description + Major group Illness ascribed to their current/most recent job
Sample cases Estimated prevalence (thousands) Rate per 100 000 employed in the last 12 months
central 95% C.I. central 95% C.I.
lower upper lower upper
Managers and senior officials 1 29 16 10 22 370 230 500
Professional occupations 2 31 17 11 23 460 290 630
Associate professional and technical occupations 3 60 32 24 40 770 570 970
Administrative and secretarial occupations 4 24 12 7 17 340 200 480
Skilled trades occupations 5 73 41 32 51 1320 1010 1630
Personal service occupations 6 26 14 8 19 600 360 830
Sales and customer service occupations 7 11 * * * * * *
Process, plant and machine operatives 8 35 19 13 26 890 590 1190
Elementary occupations 9 38 21 14 28 620 420 820
All occupations (illness ascribed to the current or most recent job)   327 179 159 198 610 540 680
Other job caused illness#   112 61 50 72 .. .. ..
Total (illness ascribed to any job)   439 240 217 263 820 740 900

Notes:

..  Not applicable

*  Sample numbers too small to provide reliable estimates.

+ See Appendix 4 in the 'Self-reported work-related illness in 2004/05' (SWI04/05) report for details of Standard Occupational Classification.

# Includes those who did not answer the question identifying the job to which their illness was ascribed and those who said their illness was ascribed to a job other than their current or most recent in the last 12 months.

Figures in italics are estimates based on fewer than 30 sample cases.