Volume 27, Issue 131, January 2023

Occupational back pain among rehabilitation nurses in Taif Rehabilitation center

Shoroug Nawar Algethami^1♦, Kholood Talib Alharthi¹

¹Physical Therapist, College of Physical Therapy, Taif University, Taif Saudi Arabia-21944

^♦Corresponding author
Physical Therapist, College of Physical Therapy, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Despite numerous efforts and significant resources being allocated to developing strategies to reduce lower back pain in the workplace, no strong evidence for the efficacy of any specific intervention has been documented. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of lower back pain among Rehabilitation Nurses working in rehabilitation centers and their health care-seeking measures taken in the management of LBP. Materials and Methods: Responses from nurses were collected using an online questionnaire. Rehabilitation Nurses currently employed in one Rehabilitation center in Taif Province were the study sample. The questionnaire recorded the annual prevalence of LBP and its severity on a four-point scale. Practices related to patient handling and occupational LBP were also assessed using appropriate items. A logistic regression model was used to predict the risk factor for the development of LBP among the sample of nurses. Results: The annual prevalence of LBP was found to be 96.5%. Among those who experienced LBP, 48.8% had moderate pain and 9.8% had severe pain. Nurses aged>36 years were found to be independently associated with a higher prevalence of LBP. The majority of the nurses (96.5%) knew how to use an assistive device and 77.6% performed special exercises to protect the back. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated a high prevalence of LBP among rehabilitation nurses and highlighted the necessity for an interventional program to reduce the prevalence of LBP. This will help the health care organization to identify factors responsible for LBP development and facilitates them to plan focused preventative measures.

Keywords: Rehabilitation, occupational hazard, back pain, patient-care

Medical Science, 2023, 27, e17ms2687

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v27i131/e17ms2687

Published: 07 January 2023