Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Feb 4;15(2):265.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020265.

Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Nursing Assistants Working in Nursing Homes

Kin Cheung  1 , Grace Szeto  2 , Godfrey Kin Bun Lai  3 , Shirley S Y Ching  4
Affiliations

Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Nursing Assistants Working in Nursing Homes

Kin Cheung et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (WRMSs) in different body parts for nursing assistants (NAs) working in nursing homes is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the extent of WRMSs in nursing assistants and the factors associated with them. Four hundred and forty NAs from 52 nursing homes, recruited by convenience sampling, participated in this cross-sectional study in 2014-2015. A valid and reliable study questionnaire was used to collect data. The results of our study found that 88.4% of NAs reported at least one body part with WRMSs. These NAs reported more symptoms in the shoulders than lower back. Adverse workstyle (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01-1.08) was the only factor associated with WRMSs after adjustment for potential confounders using multivariable logistic regression. This adverse workstyle could be developed because of physical and psychological work demands. Efforts should be directed at integrating "workstyle intervention" into lifestyle physical activity training to this group of healthcare workers.

Keywords: epidemiology; intention to leave; prevalence; working with pain; workstyle.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Meyer J.D., Muntaner C. Injuries in home health care workers: An analysis of occupational morbidity from a state compensation database. Am. J. Ind. Med. 1999;35:295–301. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0274(199903)35:3<295::AID-AJIM10>3.0.CO;2-#. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jensen R.C. Disabling back injuries among nursing personnel: Research needs and justification. Res. Nurs. Health. 1987;10:29–38. doi: 10.1002/nur.4770100106. - DOI - PubMed
    1. U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics . Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Requiring Days away from Work. BLS; Washington, DC, USA: 2013. [(accessed on 12 October 2015)]. Bureau of Labor Statistics News Release USDL-14-2246. Available online: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh2.pdf.
    1. Garg A., Moore J.S. Epidemiology of low-back pain in industry. In: Moore J.S., Garg A., editors. Occupational Medicine: State of Art Review. Volume 7. Hanley & Belfus; Philadelphia, PA, USA: 1992. pp. 593–603. - PubMed
    1. Garg A., Owen B.D. Reducing back stress to nursing personnel: An ergonomic intervention in a nursing home. Ergonomics. 1992;35:1353–1375. doi: 10.1080/00140139208967398. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources