Health-promoting Lifestyles of Nurses and Its Association with Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

BackgroundWork-related musculoskeletal disorders are a significant concern for public health, leading to temporary and permanent disability. Health care workers, including nurses, are at high risk for these disorders. This study aimed to assess the health-promoting lifestyles of nurses and their association with musculoskeletal disorders and symptoms.MethodsThis study explored health-promoting lifestyles and their association with musculoskeletal symptoms in nurses. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 300 nurses working in the teaching hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected by two questionnaires, the Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ).ResultsStudy findings showed that 47% of the study participants had a moderate level lifestyle. In terms of musculoskeletal symptoms, the most prevalent were reported in the back (88.33%), knees (83.33%), and thighs (71%). Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant negative correlations between eating habits and musculoskeletal symptoms and interpersonal relations, while a significant positive correlation was found between nutrition and stress management with musculoskeletal symptoms.ConclusionLifestyle variables are a good predictor for nurses’ musculoskeletal symptoms. Therefore, knowledge of health-promoting lifestyle behaviors and practice of these behaviors are necessary to reduce musculoskeletal disorders among nurses.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among haemodialysis nurses – a comparison between Danish and Swedish samples

“…Compared to previous findings [1][2][3][4][5][6], the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints seems to be higher among haemodialysis nurses than among nurses in general. Because complaints concerning the hands are common, and also related to absenteeism from work, it is of particular importance that manufacturers of dialysis equipment and nurse managers acknowledge these occupational health and safety hazards in their efforts to create a good work environment.…”

“…The presented data are consistent with the assumption that the prevalence and impact of musculoskeletal complaints concerning the hands may be substantially higher among haemodialysis nurses than among nurses in general. Indeed, the prevalence of complaints concerning hands was found to be twice that reported for hospital nurses [2,5] as well as for primary health care nurses [4]. This divergence is plausible given the repetitiveness of priming and dismantling of disposables and other specific duties that haemodialysis nurses perform each work shift, as non-haemodialysis nurses are generally not exposed to such musculoskeletal risk factors.…”

“…Although the origins of MSDs are known to be multifactorial and associated with both occupational and non-occupational factors, it is of particular interest to further investigate potential occupational risk factors. Nurses, as the largest professional group in health care, are at a particular risk of experiencing work-related MSDs [1][2][3][4][5][6]. However, given that nurses' working conditions vary greatly across nursing disciplines, it is also important to investigate whether the prevalence of MSDs varies by type of nurse occupation and the specific working tasks associated with various occupations [26].…”

“…Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the nursing profession [1][2][3][4][5][6] are common, as they are in many other occupations [7][8][9]. Nurses who continuously perform physically demanding routine tasks, such as lifting or repositioning heavy patients, pushing devices or other medical equipment, and who lean over the bed during nursing activities often report discomfort or pain located in the neck, shoulders and lower back [1,3].…”

“…While there has been a plethora of studies aimed *Corresponding author. Email: magnus.lindberg@hig.se at determining MSD prevalence within the nursing context [1][2][3][4][5][6], to our knowledge no study has considered the working conditions of nurses in haemodialysis settings.…”