Predisposition and Working Conditions for the Occurrence of Lumbar Syndrome in Medical Workers of the Clinical Center of Montenegro during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Lumbar pain is a condition of discomfort in the lower back caused by numerous factors, lasting for short or longer periods of time. Healthcare professionals, regardless of the type of care they are engaged in, are at risk of lumbar pain. This is the first study that deals with the problem of lumbar syndrome in health workers in Montenegro. Methods: This cross-sectional study included full-time health workers employed in the Clinical Center of Montenegro who were involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients during 2020 and 2021. The survey consisted of general questions for collecting socio-demographic and COVID-19 engagement data; the Modified Nordic questionnaire was used for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms, and the EQ-5D-questionnaire was used to measure the quality of life associated with health. Results: The one-year prevalence of lumbar pain was 68.1%. Factors associated with lumbar pain were as follows: a higher degree of physical inactivity (each subject with a higher degree of physical inactivity had a 24% higher chance of occurrence of lumbar pain); a higher degree of load and over-engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic (each subject with a higher degree of workload had a nearly 50% higher chance of occurrence of lumbar pain); duration of engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic (subjects engaged up to a month were 4 times more likely to develop lumbar pain, and subjects engaged for 1-3 months were 3.5 times more likely to develop lumbar pain compared to those who were not engaged in COVID-19 treatment). This study also confirms that lumbar syndrome affects the quality of life of health workers. Conclusions: Lumbar syndrome is highly prevalent among healthcare professionals in the Clinical Center of Montenegro, especially in the population of nurses, where evidence-based preventive measures are needed.

Keywords: COVID-19; Montenegro; lumbar syndrome; medical workers.