The prevalence of occupational low-back pain was investigated in 407 female nurses in a large tertiary health care unit in Athens, Greece. Work-related back pain within the previous 2 weeks was reported by 63% of respondents and within the previous 6 months by 67%. Prevalence was higher (66% in the previous 2 weeks) in the wards with physically heavy duties than in the rest (52%, P = 0.003), but all grades of nursing staff were affected equally. The specific factors which claimed to be responsible for causing back pain included moving heavy items (36%), lifting patients onto trolleys (32%) or in bed (29%), helping patients out of bed (24%) and bending to lift objects from the floor (24%). Absence from work because of back pain in the previous 2 weeks was reported by 28% of the sample.

This paper contains the findings of a scientific research which was done on post-traumatic paraplegics who live in the area of Athens. Greece, and measured the impact of pressure sores and UTIs on their everyday life activities. The target population was 127 individuals out of which 98 were observed and interviewed. A semi-structured questionnaire which consisted of two parts used; the first part of the questionnaire included general questions whereas the second contained the Sarno Functional Life Scale (SFLS) which is a tool measuring the level of independence of disabled people. Sixty-two per cent of the population was male. The mean age of the sample population at the time they had the accident which caused the paraplegia was 31.5, while the median was 28.5. The majority of the subjects comes from the lower socioeconomic class. Traffic accidents accounted for the 55% of the occurrences of paraplegia, falls for 37%, surgical complication for 4% and athletic activities for the remaining 4%. Forty-nine percent of the sample had been hospitalised in a rehabilitation centre. However, the multiple regressions used did not reveal any statistically significant relation between the hospitalisation in a rehabilitation centre and the paraplegic's scores in any of the Sarno Functional Life Scale's (SFLS) variables. Instead, the multiple regressions employed yielded paraplegics' scores in the SFLS's everyday life activities that were negatively related to age (P = 0.004) and pressure sores (P = 0.021). The paraplegics' scores on the SFLS's indoors activities are positively related to the years since injury (P = 0.048) and health education on daily fluid consumption (P = 0.003). The scores of the subjects on the SFLS's outdoor activities are positively related to the years of education (P = 0.008), the years since injury (P = 0.011), while are negatively related to pressure sores (P = 0.034) and UTIs (0.044). The subjects' scores on the SFLS variables regarding social relations had a negative relation to sex, (female) (P = 0.0001), age (P = 0.001) and pressure sores (P = 0.019), while they have a positive relation with the years since injury (P = 0.024).

Factors associated with self-reported back pain were investigated using questionnaire data on 407 female nurses from a large hospital in Athens, Greece. Factor analysis was used to construct indices of pain and its impact on normal life, and also to summarize work load descriptions. Pain factors were examined in relation to work load and personal characteristics by logistic regression. Statistically significant items, in relation both to pain and impact, were the existence of previous back injury, self-reported headaches and the 'carrying and lifting' factor of work load which principally included moving equipment. Age, height and weight were not associated with back pain. Compared to a similar study by Harber and colleagues in California, United States of America, the factors associated with back pain were quite similar in this study even though the prevalence of back pain was much higher among Greek nurses and their work load was physically much more demanding.

Factors associated with self-reported back pain were investigated using questionnaire data on 407 female nurses from a large hospital in Athens, Greece. Factor analysis was used to construct indices of pain and its impact on normal life, and also to summarize work load descriptions. Pain factors were examined in relation to work load and personal characteristics by logistic regression. Statistically significant items, in relation both to pain and impact, were the existence of previous back injury, self-reported headaches and the 'carrying and lifting' factor of work load which principally included moving equipment. Age, height and weight were not associated with back pain. Compared to a similar study by Harber and colleagues in California, United States of America, the factors associated with back pain were quite similar in this study even though the prevalence of back pain was much higher among Greek nurses and their work load was physically much more demanding.