Low back pain and coping strategies’ among nurses in Port Said City, Egypt

Abstract

Background : Low back pain is a very common health problem worldwide and a major cause of disability-affecting performance at work and general well-being. The aim of this study was to assess low back pain and coping strategies’ among nurses in Port Said City. Methods : This was a cross-sectional study of low back pain among 419 nurses working in six governmental hospitals and four primary health care centers in Port-Said City. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using five tools. Results : A total of 419 completed questionnaires were analyzed. The mean pain severity score was 5.8 ± 1.8. The present study revealed that a highly statistically significant relation between pain score, perception, and coping strategies and age, body mass index, experience, and duration of low back pain among nurses complaints of low back pain. Conclusions : More than three quarters of nurses suffered from low back pain due to long standing and more than two thirds due to heavy lifting and hospital work. With respect to strategies for coping with low back pain, positive correlations were found between withdrawal and denial as a coping strategy with age and experience.