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. 2023 Jan 28;11(3):365.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare11030365.

Musculoskeletal Pain in the Neck and Lower Back Regions among PHC Workers: Association between Workload, Mental Disorders, and Strategies to Manage Pain

Marta Regina Cezar-Vaz  1 , Daiani Modernel Xavier  1 , Clarice Alves Bonow  2 , Jordana Cezar Vaz  3 , Letícia Silveira Cardoso  4 , Cynthia Fontella Sant'Anna  4 , Valdecir Zavarese da Costa  5 , Carlos Henrique Cardona Nery  6 , Aline Soares Alves  7 , Joice Simionato Vettorello  7 , Jociel Lima de Souza  7 , Helena Maria Almeida Macedo Loureiro  8
Affiliations

Musculoskeletal Pain in the Neck and Lower Back Regions among PHC Workers: Association between Workload, Mental Disorders, and Strategies to Manage Pain

Marta Regina Cezar-Vaz et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Scientific evidence indicates that workers in the health sector are commonly exposed to work-related musculoskeletal pain.

Objectives: We aimed to identify the relationship between the presence and intensity of musculoskeletal pain in the neck and lumbar regions reported by Primary Health Care (PHC) workers with workloads and occupational risks, analyze musculoskeletal pain in the presence and absence of self-reported mental disorders based on a medical diagnosis, and identify workers' strategies to manage pain.

Method: This cross-sectional study addressed 338 health professionals working in PHC outpatient services in the extreme South of Brazil. One questionnaire addressed sociodemographic questions concerning occupation, occupational risks, and mental disorders. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to assess self-reported musculoskeletal pain. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) measured the workload. A descriptive and inferential analysis was performed using SPSS version 21.0.

Results: Most (55.3%) participants reported neck and (64.5%) lower back pain in the previous 12 months, and 22.5% and 30.5% reported intense neck and lower back pain, respectively, in the previous 12 months. The results showed different independent associations with increased musculoskeletal pain among health workers. Dentists presented the highest prevalence of neck pain, while female workers presented the highest prevalence of lower back pain. Furthermore, the perception of ergonomic risk and virtually all self-reported mental disorders (except panic syndrome for neck pain) were associated with pain in the neck and lower back regions and a higher frustration level (mental demand). Additionally, professionals with graduate degrees, nurses, and professionals working the longest in PHC services reported seeking complementary therapies more frequently, while physicians and those with self-reported mental disorders self-medicated more frequently.

Keywords: health personnel; lower back pain; mental disorders; musculoskeletal pain; neck pain; primary health care; working conditions; workload.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
An outline of the key concepts integrated into musculoskeletal pain (M54.5 lower back pain; M54.2 Cervicalgia) and operational qualifiers adopted in this study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sample distribution concerning strategies to manage musculoskeletal pain.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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