Prevalence of low back pain and risk factors in nurses and health-care workers working in a university hospital

Low back pain is a common problem in developed societies. The etiology is often multifactorial and working condition is one of the common reasons. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the prevalence of low back pain in health care staff (nurses and health-care workers) who are in the work-related risk group and the relationship between low back pain with personal and work-related risk factors.A total of 270 nurses and 189 health-care workers were included in the study. Their demographic charasteristics, low back pain histories and risk factors for low back pains were questioned with self-completed questionnaires. Biering Sorensen test was performed in order to evaluate the endurance of trunk extensor muscles. In addition, Oswestry low back pain scale (OLBPS) was used to assess the functional inability due to low back pain of the employees. Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) was used to determine the risk and to measure the level and changes in the degree of anxiety and depression.Low back pain for last one month was found in 56.5% of the employees, while lifetime prevalence of low back pain was found in 81.9%. Incidence of low back pain for last one month and lifetime prevalences were found to be 59.9% and 84.1% in nurses and 51.4% and 78.8 in health-care workers, respectively.In our study, low back pain frequencies were found to be significantly higher in women among all employees (p=0.023), in the ones with bad perceived general health (p<0.001), in the ones working in stressful conditions (p<0.001), in the ones standing for long periods (p=0.024), in the ones lifting patients or heavy things (p=0.023) and in the ones transferring patients alone (p=0.011). Low back pain was observed to be significanly lower in the participants exercising regularly (p=0.001) and in the ones satisfied with their jobs (p<0.001). The means Biering Sorenson test were found 110.92±49.11sec and 153.50±47.57sec in the groups with and without low back pain, respectively; and the difference was found to be statistically significant (p<0.001). The mean total OLBPS of the ones with low back pain was 4.85±4.024 and mild to moderate degrees functional inability was detected in 44.3% of them.In conclusion, being a health care worker is a risk factor for low back pain. Decrease in either force or endurance of lower back muscles increase risk for low back pain.