Physical activity pattern and its association with functional limitation, physical health, and emotional wellbeing of nurses with low back pain

Abstract

Background: The working and living conditions of nurses in Africa and in the Western world settings might not be comparable. With that in mind, therefore the pattern of physical activities (PA) and its association with back pain among nurses in Africa might be different. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the PA pattern and its association with low back pain (LBP) among the Nurses in Maiduguri, North Eastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess the physical activity, Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaires was used to asses the functional limitation while Rand 36 questionnaires was used to assess the bodily pain, physical health, and emotional wellbeing. Results: The results of the study showed 94.7% prevalence of LBP among the nurses out of which 94.27% participants had chronic (>3 months duration) LBP. Job-related physical activity, housework related physical activity, transport related physical activity, and recreational related physical activity domains measured 8565.78 ± 95.44, 3158.65 ± 56.07, 4055.80 ± 62.41, 2179.82 ± 39.67, respectively. Eighty percent of the participants were active in each of the domains of transport related and job-related physical activity while 90% and 100% of the participants were inactive in housework related and recreational related PA domains, respectively. Age group and gender did not show statistical significant effects on PA scores of the participants (P > 0.05). Standardised correlation coefficients values of −0.045, 0.061 and 0.143 between physical activity and each of functional limitation, physical health, and emotional wellbeing, respectively, were obtained, none of which was statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study it was concluded that nurses were more active in job-related and transport related PA domains and less active in housework and recreational related PA domains. Age and gender did not have significant effects on PA. Similarly, the functional limitation due to LBP, physical health and emotional wellbeing did not show significant association with PA.