Determinants of low back pain among nurses in National Hospital Abuja

Determinants of low back pain among nurses in National Hospital Abuja

Abstract

Objectives: Low back pain is a major occupational problem especially among nursing staff. The objectives of our study are to evaluate the prevalence of low back pain among nurses and to look for physical and psychosocial risk factors. Methods:  It  is  a  cross-sectional  study  based  on  a  self-administered  question-naire  destined  for  all  nurses  working  in  National Hospital Abuja

Results: Our study included 203 nurses with an average age of 39.8 years. The prevalence of low back pain over the last twelve months was 58.1%. The factors that are significantly associated to low back pain were: high BMI,  number  of  pregnancies,  arthritis,  poor  physical  condition,  daily  fre-quency  of  inappropriate  posture  for  the  activity  being  performed,  and  the  layout  of  materials  in  the  workplace.  Conclusion: Our  study  evidenced  the  high prevalence of LBP among nurses and allowed bringing to light the role of individual and ergonomic physical factors in the genesis of LBP. Such identifications  permits  to  undertake  targeted  preventive actions.  The  association  between psychosocial factors and LBP was not emphasized