Low Back Pain and Its Associated Factors among Nurses in Public Hospitals of Penang, Malaysia.

Mohd Ismail Ibrahim,Izani Uzair Zubair,Mohd Nazri Shafei,Najib Majdi Yaacob,Mohd Izmi Ahmad

doi:10.3390/ijerph16214254

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and its associated factors among the nurses working in the public hospitals of Penang, Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on nurses, aged 25–60 years, who had been working for at least three months at six public hospitals of Penang. A proportionate stratified random sampling method was applied to select 1292 respondents. The Malay-validated BACKS Tool questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale was used to obtain data. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: A total of 989 (76.5%) nurses suffered from LBP at a point of time. The factors significantly associated with LBP among the nurses included working more than seven hours [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) 1.48 (1.06, 1.98)], twisting of the body while working [AOR (95% CI) 1.60 (1.13, 2.26)], manual handling of patients in wards [AOR (95% CI) 1.44 (1.08, 2.07)], and fatigue [AOR (95% CI) 2.63 (1.94, 3.58)]. Conclusion: The prevalence of LBP among the nurses in the public hospitals of Penang was relatively high. The factors predicting LBP included working more than seven hours a day, twisting of the body while working, manual handling, and fatigue. The findings from this study may better enable policymakers to devote resources to minimize low back pain among nurses. The nurses should be encouraged to comply with safe working procedures.

Highlights

IntroductionLow back pain (LBP) is a common, disabling, and burdensome disorder affecting people worldwide
Low back pain (LBP) is a common, disabling, and burdensome disorder affecting people worldwide.Lumbar strain and sprains caused by stretch injury to the tendons, ligaments, or muscles of the lower back region lead to acute or chronic LBP
A cross-sectional study was conducted at six public hospitals of Penang, Malaysia, which consisted of three hospitals with medical specialists and three hospitals without medical specialists

Summary

Introduction

Low back pain (LBP) is a common, disabling, and burdensome disorder affecting people worldwide. Lumbar strain and sprains caused by stretch injury to the tendons, ligaments, or muscles of the lower back region lead to acute or chronic LBP. Back injuries can occur because of overuse, improper use, or trauma [1]. Straining and stretching of the muscles can occur from a twisting, bending, or lifting procedure, lifting a heavy object, or overstretching [2]. People who have LBP suffer for a certain duration of time, and after recovery, they eventually return to normal activities. Some of them develop chronic pain and few of them suffer from a disability. One year after the first episode of back pain, 62% of the people still have pain and 16% of those who were unable to work are still not working [3]

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