Background: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most prevalent health conditions and is influenced by a combination of psychological, muscular, neurological, social, environmental and occupational factors. In working populations, occupational activities and sustained or awkward postures may contribute to discomfort in the lumbosacral, buttock and leg regions and may affect quality of life and work activities. Retail workers, particularly those involved in small-scale apparel retail, may be exposed to prolonged standing, bending, lifting, and carrying, reaching and repetitive movements during their working day. These physical demands make LBP an important occupational health concern. The present study was undertaken to determine the level of LBP and disability among small-scale apparel retail workers in South Mumbai using the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Index (ODI), a condition-specific measure used to assess functional disability associated with low back disorders.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 139 small-scale apparel retail workers from apparel retail shops in South Mumbai (Saffron Market) using convenience sampling. Participants were included if they were small-scale apparel retail workers aged 20–40 years, had at least one year of work experience, worked for a minimum of eight hours per day, and worked in South Mumbai. Participants with a recent injury, trauma or accident, recent spinal surgery or lumbar radiculopathy, non-cooperation, or lack of consent were excluded. Institutional ethics approval was obtained, the study procedure was explained and informed written consent was taken. Demographic information was collected through  interview. Participants reporting LBP were further assessed for disability using the Oswestry Disability Index. The collected data were entered into Microsoft Excel and descriptive analysis was used to summarize the findings. The ODI was selected because the blackbook describes it as an established measure of low-back functional disability, with reported high test–retest reliability and construct validity.

Results: A total of 139 participants were included in the primary analysis. Of these, 53 participants (38.1%) reported low back pain, while 86 participants (61.9%) reported no low back pain. Among the 53 participants with LBP, the mean ODI score was 3.83 ± 5.40, with scores ranging from 0 to 19. According to the ODI classification used in the study, 39 participants (73.6%) had no disability, 10 (18.9%) had mild disability and 4 (7.5%) had moderate disability. Therefore, 14 of the 53 participants with LBP (26.4%) demonstrated some degree of disability, whereas 39 (73.6%) had no disability. The study therefore identified LBP in more than one-third of the participating apparel retail workers, while the level of functional disability among those reporting LBP was generally low.

Conclusion: The study found that low back pain was present in 38.1% of small-scale apparel retail workers in South Mumbai. Although a considerable proportion of workers reported LBP, most affected participants did not demonstrate disability according to the ODI, with 73.6% classified as having no disability, 18.9% mild disability and 7.5% moderate disability. The mean ODI score of 3.83 ± 5.40 further indicated a generally low level of functional disability among workers reporting LBP. These findings highlight the relevance of early identification, ergonomic awareness and preventive physiotherapy strategies in small-scale apparel retail settings. However, because the study was cross-sectional and used convenience sampling, the findings describe the study population and do not establish causal relationships or allow full generalization to all apparel retail workers.