Exploring lived experiences of occupational chronic low back pain and perceived acceptability of an agriculture support exoskeleton among farm workers: a qualitative focus group study protocol.
5 affiliations
- 1Physiotherapy, Ravi Nair Physiotherapy College, Wardha, India.
- 2MPT Student of Neurophysiotherapy, Ravi Nair Physiotherapy College, Wardha, India.
- 3Department of Biomedical Engineering, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research Deemed to be University, Wardha, India.
- 4Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belagavi, India.
- 5Department of Mechanical Engineering, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology Nagpur, Nagpur, India.
Abstract
Introduction
Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is the leading cause of years lived with disability globally and the most prevalent occupational musculoskeletal condition among agricultural workers. In India, farm workers constitute the largest occupational group, and the 12-month pooled prevalence of LBP among Asian agricultural workers is estimated at 54.16%. The Agricultural Support Exoskeleton (AgSuEx) is a passive wearable lumbar support device currently under development at Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (DMIHER), Wardha, designed to redistribute mechanical loads during prolonged harvesting postures. Before laboratory validation and clinical efficacy testing, it is essential to document the lived experience of cLBP among intended users and to evaluate the acceptability of a wearable back support device for agricultural use. This protocol describes two sequential, sex-stratified focus group discussions (FGDs), pre-field testing and post-field testing, which will be conducted with farm workers in Wardha district, Maharashtra, India: (1) to explore occupational physical demands, cLBP burden, coping strategies and healthcare barriers; and (2) to evaluate post-use experiences of AgSuEx usability, comfort, safety, work compatibility and sociocultural acceptability.Methods and analysis
Four sex-stratified FGD sessions will be conducted: two pre-field testing sessions (one male group, one female group, n = 9 each) and two post-field-testing sessions with the same 18 participants recalled (n=9 per group), yielding 18 unique purposively sampled farm workers in total. Each session will last approximately 60 min, facilitated in Marathi by a trained physiotherapist-researcher and a co-facilitator. Sessions will be audio-video recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Rigour will be ensured through investigator triangulation, member checking, reflexivity journaling and peer debriefing. The protocol is reported in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist.Ethics and dissemination
The study has been approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of DMIHER (DU). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Confidentiality will be protected through participant codes and neutral community venues. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and shared with the participating farming communities, and de-identified transcripts and analyst codebooks will be deposited in Figshare.Trial registration number
(Clinical Trials Registry - India) CTRI/2025/11/097725 (Registered: 20 November 2025; Acknowledgement No.: REF/2025/11/116856) (S3 Appendix). URL: https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?EncHid=MTQ1NzE3&Enc=&userName=.
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BibTeX
@article{kaur2026exploring,
title = {{Exploring lived experiences of occupational chronic low back pain and perceived acceptability of an agriculture support exoskeleton among farm workers: a qualitative focus group study protocol.}},
author = {Gurjeet Kaur and Irshad Qureshi and Ashutosh Bagde and Bhupesh Sarode and Dhananjay A Jolhe and Vinod M Nistane},
journal = {BMJ public health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1136/bmjph-2026-005891},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42974370},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Exploring lived experiences of occupational chronic low back pain and perceived acceptability of an agriculture support exoskeleton among farm workers: a qualitative focus group study protocol.
AU - Gurjeet Kaur
AU - Irshad Qureshi
AU - Ashutosh Bagde
AU - Bhupesh Sarode
AU - Dhananjay A Jolhe
AU - Vinod M Nistane
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - BMJ public health
DO - 10.1136/bmjph-2026-005891
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42974370
AB - Introduction Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is the leading cause of years lived with disability globally and the most prevalent occupational musculoskeletal condition among agricultural workers. In India, farm workers constitute the largest occupational group, and the 12-month pooled prevalence of LBP among Asian agricultural workers is estimated at 54.16%. The Agricultural Support Exoskeleton (AgSuEx) is a passive wearable lumbar support device currently under development at Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (DMIHER), Wardha, designed to redistribute mechanical loads during prolonged harvesting postures. Before laboratory validation and clinical efficacy testing, it is essential to document the lived experience of cLBP among intended users and to evaluate the acceptability of a wearable back support device for agricultural use. This protocol describes two sequential, sex-stratified focus group discussions (FGDs), pre-field testing and post-field testing, which will be conducted with farm workers in Wardha district, Maharashtra, India: (1) to explore occupational physical demands, cLBP burden, coping strategies and healthcare barriers; and (2) to evaluate post-use experiences of AgSuEx usability, comfort, safety, work compatibility and sociocultural acceptability.Methods and analysis Four sex-stratified FGD sessions will be conducted: two pre-field testing sessions (one male group, one female group, n = 9 each) and two post-field-testing sessions with the same 18 participants recalled (n=9 per group), yielding 18 unique purposively sampled farm workers in total. Each session will last approximately 60 min, facilitated in Marathi by a trained physiotherapist-researcher and a co-facilitator. Sessions will be audio-video recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Rigour will be ensured through investigator triangulation, member checking, reflexivity journaling and peer debriefing. The protocol is reported in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist.Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of DMIHER (DU). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Confidentiality will be protected through participant codes and neutral community venues. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and shared with the participating farming communities, and de-identified transcripts and analyst codebooks will be deposited in Figshare.Trial registration number (Clinical Trials Registry - India) CTRI/2025/11/097725 (Registered: 20 November 2025; Acknowledgement No.: REF/2025/11/116856) (S3 Appendix). URL: https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?EncHid=MTQ1NzE3&Enc=&userName=.
SN - 2753-4294
ER -