Over-exertion back accidents among nurses' aides in Sweden

Engkvist, I-L; Hagberg, Mats; Linden, Allen M.; Malker, Birgitta

doi:10.1016/0925-7535(92)90010-w

Cited by 69 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Most of the accident processes involved a patient transfer, as expected from an earlier study (5). This finding is also consistent with the results of other studies (7, 1 8-23).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…One reason may be that the general registered nurses do a smaller share of the practical nursing, and consequently make fewer patient transfers. The Swedish health care organization is changing, and eventually registered general nurses will do more of the practical nursing, including more patient transfers, and will thereby be at greater risk for back injury than previously, since transfers of patients sometimes lead to back injuries (5,(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)30). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nursing aides in Sweden have a relative risk of 6.0 for reported occupational accidents leading to an overexertion back injury when compared with all other employed Swedish women (5). Most injuries occur during patient transfer and lead to a long sick leave, an average of 59 days, the indication being that they cause both personal suffering and a high social cost.…”

Section: O~c~u S~o~smentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The clusters were formed using the average linkage-within-groups method, which minimizes the average distance between all pairs in a cluster (16). Different numbers of clusters (5)(6)(7)(8) were tested. The chi-square was calculated for all the factors for an indicator of how significantly a factor discriminated between clusters.…”

Section: Data Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The accident process preceding overexertion back injuries in nursing personnel

Engkvist¹,

Hagberg²,

Hjelm³

et al. 1998

Scand J Work Environ Health

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Engkvist I-L, Hagberg M, Wigaeus Hjelm E, Menckel E, Ekenvall L, PROSA study group. The accident process preceding overexertion back injuries in nursing personnel. Scand J Work Envi ron Health 1998;24(5):367-375. Objectives This prospective dynamic-population-based study investigated factors involved in the accident process preceding overexertion back injuries among nursing personnel. MethodsThe study covered all reported occupational overexertion back injuries due to accidents among of the approximately 24 500 nurses in the Stockholm County hospitals during 1 year. It was assumed that several factors interact in the accident process. Detailed information was obtained for each injury by interviews with the injured nurse and head nurse. Risks in the physical environment were identified using an ergonomic checklist.Results During the study 136 overexertion back injuries were reported. Of the 130 nurses participating in the study, 125 had been injured in connection with patient work. Cluster analysis yielded 6 clusters and their pattern of contributing factors. The most frequent injury occurred during patient transfer in the bed or to or from the bed, without the use of transfer devices, when the patient suddenly lost his or her balance or resisted during the transfer and the nurse had to make a sudden movement. However, there were physical conditions, such as shortcomings in the physical work environment or a lack of a transfer device, that compelled the nurses to perform the tasks under unsafe conditions. C O~C~U S~O~SThe clusters showed a complexity of different kinds of accidents and indicated that the measures for preventing accidents, or for blocking an accident process once started, have to be of different kinds and placed at several different levels in the organization of a workplace.Key terms back, cluster analysis, lifting, nurse, patient transfer.Nurses have a documented high risk of work-related back injuries ( 1 -4 ) . Nursing aides in Sweden have a relative risk of 6.0 for reported occupational accidents leading to an overexertion back injury when compared with all other employed Swedish women (5). Most injuries occur during patient transfer and lead to a long sick leave, an average of 59 days, the indication being that they cause both personal suffering and a high social cost. According to Troup, most published reports dealing with the causes of back injuries consider a single causative factor and tllus ignore other contributory factors (6). Before preventive measures can be suggested, it is important to investigate carefully the circumstances involved in the accident process. Studies using interview methods to obtain qualitative data may identify factors contributing to the onset of occupational back pain (7).The purpose of this study was to investigate factors involved in the accident process preceding overexertion back injuries among nursing personnel. Subjects and methods DefinitionsThe use and definitions of the concepts accident and injury vary from researcher to researcher (8-1 1). In the p...

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“…Most of the accident processes involved a patient transfer, as expected from an earlier study (5). This finding is also consistent with the results of other studies (7, 1 8-23).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: O~c~u S~o~smentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The accident process preceding overexertion back injuries in nursing personnel

Engkvist¹,

Hagberg²,

Hjelm³

et al. 1998

Scand J Work Environ Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…HCWs have shown high levels of occupational disorders, especially musculoskeletal (Engkvist, Hagberg, Lindén & Malker, 1992;Myers, Jensen, Nestor & Rattiner, 1993;Ono et al, 1995;Meyer & Muntaner, 1999;Dellve et al, 2003b). There is a need to develop knowledge that may prevent occupational disorders, and that supports sustaining the work ability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Making it work in the frontline” explains female home care workers’ defining, recognizing, communicating and reporting of occupational disorders

Dellve

Hallberg

2008

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

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Epidemiological research has so far failed to explain the high incidence of occupational disorders among home care workers (HCWs) and the great differences in organizational incidence rate. A qualitative approach may contribute to a deeper understanding of work group reasoning and handling in a more contextual manner. The aim of this grounded theory study was to gain a deeper understanding of the main concern in the processes of recognizing, communicating and reporting occupational disorders among HCWs. Focus group interviews were conducted with 40 HCWs in 9 focus groups. The selected municipalities represented variations in municipality type and incidence rate of occupational disorders. Making it work in the frontline was identified as the core category explaining that the perceived work situation in home care work was the main concern but interacted with work-group socialising processes as well as with the communicability and derivability of the occupational disorder when defining and reporting occupational disorders. Complex problems could be reformulated and agreed within the workgroup to increase communicability. Described significances for reporting/non-reporting were related to financial compensation, to a part of organizational political game or to an existential uncertainty, i.e. questioning if it belonged to their chosen work and life. Our conclusion is that working situation and work group attitudes have importance for reporting of occupational disorders. To support work-related health for HCWs, integrating communication should be developed about work-related challenges in work situation, as well as about attitudes, culture and efficiency within work-group.

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Design factors in epidemiologic cohort studies of work‐related low back injury or pain

Kraus

Gardner

Collins

et al. 1997

American J Industrial Med

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The connection between work‐related exposures and the onset of back injury or pain is complex and not clearly understood. This paper raises design issues related to the planning and conduct of cohort studies of industrial low back pain (or injury)(LBP), with care given to definition and measurement of exposure and outcome events. These issues include sample size, outcome definition, study biases, and practical considerations when seeking and maintaining company collaboration with a research effort. Without resolving these issues, the authors conclude: (1) cohort studies of worksite‐based LBP are needed to elucidate the causal associations between work tasks and LBP onset, (2) both acute and cumulative exposures should be assessed as risk factors for low back injury or pain, and (3) attention should be paid to the planning of such studies and minimization of potential biases that can limit the validity of the results. These design issues will benefit researchers and companies engaged in the planning and conduct of cohort studies of industrial LBP. Am. J. Ind. Med. 32:153–163, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss Inc.

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Over-exertion back accidents among nurses' aides in Sweden

Cited by 69 publications

References 11 publications

The accident process preceding overexertion back injuries in nursing personnel

The accident process preceding overexertion back injuries in nursing personnel

“Making it work in the frontline” explains female home care workers’ defining, recognizing, communicating and reporting of occupational disorders

Design factors in epidemiologic cohort studies of work‐related low back injury or pain

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