Awkward trunk postures and their relationship with low back pain in hospital nurses

Abstract

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the most common work-related musculoskeletal problem among healthcare workers including nurses. Awkward trunk postures have been recognized as one common problem in this groupOBJECTIVE:The aims of this study were to: a) continuously assess trunk postures for an entire shift work in various hospital wards, and b) examine the relationship between the duration of exposure to awkward trunk postures and the occurrence of low back pain (LBP) among nurses.

Methods: Eighty nurses from eight wards in a hospital participated in this cross-sectional study. The prevalence of LBP was determined using the revised Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Full-shift work trunk posture exposure was measured using an inclinometer.

Results: The prevalence of LBP among hospital nurses was 72%. The highest percentage of time spent in awkward postures in the sagittal plane (trunk flexion ≥45°) and in the frontal plane (lateral bend ≥20°) was recorded in the general (65.6% ± 12.2) and orthopedic (48.4% ± 7.4) wards, respectively. Logistic regression analyses showed that the duration of exposure to awkward trunk postures had a significant relationship with LBP (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: The results highlight the potential risks of nursing job in terms of frequent and extreme trunk awkward postures, which may lead to the development of LBP. The findings can help to develop guidelines regarding prioritizing ergonomic interventions to reduce the prevalence of LBP among hospital nurses.

Keywords: Inclinometer; musculoskeletal disorders; physical workload; spinal.