Prevalence and factors associated with low back pain among health care workers in southwestern Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose was to measure the prevalence and related risk factors of low back pain (LBP) among health care workers (HCWs) at different levels of health care in southwestern Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among HCWs providing primary, secondary and tertiary health care services in the Aseer region, southwestern Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire collected data regarding having LBP in the past 12 months, socio-demographics, work conditions and history of chronic diseases, regular physical exercise and overexertional back trauma. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.ResultsOut of 740 participants, the overall prevalence of LBP in the past 12 months amounted to73.9% (95% CI: 70.7–77.0). The prevalence of LBP with neurological symptoms reached 50.0%. The prevalence of LBP necessitating medications and or physiotherapy was 40.5%, while the prevalence of LBP requiring medical consultation was 20%. Using multivariable logistic regression, the following risk factors were identified: working in secondary and tertiary hospitals (aOR = 1.32, 95% CI:1.01–1.76), increased BMI (aOR = 1.10, 95% CI:1.01–3.65), and positive history of overexertional back trauma (aOR = 11.52, 95% CI:4.14–32.08). On the other hand, practising regular physical exercise was a significant protective factor (aOR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.42–0.89).ConclusionsLBP is a common problem among HCWs. Many preventable risk factors have been identified, including exertional back trauma, increased BMI and lack of regular physical exercise. Occupational health and safety programmes to build ergonomically safe working conditions and encourage regular physical exercise are needed.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12891-019-2431-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Estimation of work-related back pain syndrome in emergency medical services personnel

“…problem występowania bólów dolnego odcinka kręgosłupa w ciągu ostatnich 12 miesięcy także dotyczył większości, czyli 74% badanych. Analizie poddano 740 pracowników służby zdrowia, w tym ratowników medycznych, z południowej części Arabii Saudyjskiej [15].…”

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“…Nursing activities assume lots of physical care that involves movement and patient support which sometimes may have unpredictable events due to weight and poor gripping which may lead to injuries for the nurse (Alnaami et al, 2019;Heidari et al, 2019). These outcomes may suggest that there is a mismatch between job activities performed by nurses to meet work demands and their physical abilities or the need for more advanced technologies and/or equipment to assist with the load.…”

“…Back pain refers to pain from the upper back to the interior gluteal folds, with or without leg pain (Chan, 2017). The prevalence of back pain among nurse"s ranges between concern because it is a key cause for absence at work and a decrease in working efficiency that exerts economic costs and strain on the health system (Alnaami et al, 2019;Richardson et al, 2019). Direct and indirect costs of back pain in terms of quality of life for nurses are enormous (Johnson and Emmanuel, 2016).…”

“…Direct and indirect costs of back pain in terms of quality of life for nurses are enormous (Johnson and Emmanuel, 2016). This is because back pain is associated with an incremental risk of chronic disease that can lead to a loss of functional health status and a loss in workforce expertise (Alnaami et al, 2019;Abedini et al, 2014). The compounded effect of nurses with back pain on the health system and patient outcomes of low resource countries is of great concern; considering that, some patients are highly dependent and may require constant attention from nurses, who because of experiencing back pain, may not be able to adequately perform the healthcare activities needed (Chan, 2017).…”

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“…There are many factors that lead to low back pain. This problem has negative impact not only the person that is affected it also has negative impact on the economy [3].…”