Overall studies showed that nursing activities conferred increased risk for , and were associated with back disorders regardless of nursing technique , personal characteristics , and non-work-related factors .
Patient h and ling appears to confer the highest risk , but other nursing duties are also associated with elevated risk , and confound dose – response assessment s related to patient h and ling alone .
A threshold of nursing activities below which the risk of back disorders is not elevated has not been established .
Abstract Background : Although non-specific low back pain ( LBP ) is known to be multifactorial , studies from across the globe have documented their higher prevalence in nurses .
This systematic review was conducted to ascertain whether this much-documented association constitutes a causal relationship , and whether there is a discernible threshold of exposures associated with this elevated risk .
Manual handling activities and risk of low back pain in nurses.
OBJECTIVE --To investigate the risk factors for low back pain in hospital nurses , with particular emphasis on the role of specific nursing activities . METHODS --A cross sectional survey of 2405 nurses employed by a group of teaching hospitals was carried out . Self administered question naires were used to collect information about occupational activities , non-occupational risk factors for back symptoms , and history of low back pain . RESULTS --The overall response rate was 69 % . Among 1616 women , the lifetime prevalence of back pain was 60 % and the one year period prevalence 45 % . 10 % had been absent from work because of back pain for a cumulative period exceeding four weeks . Rates in men were generally similar to those in women . In women back pain during the previous 12 months was weakly associated with height , and was significantly more common in those who reported frequent non-musculoskeletal symptoms such as headache and low mood . After adjustment for height and non-musculoskeletal symptoms , significant associations were found with frequency of manually moving patients around on the bed , manually transferring patients between bed and chair , and manually lifting patients from the floor . In contrast , no clear increase in risk was found in relation to transfer of patients with canvas and poles , manually lifting patients in and out of the bath , or lifting patients with mechanical aids . Confirmation of these findings is now being sought in a prospect i ve study of the same population . CONCLUSIONS --This study confirms that low back pain is highly prevalent among nurses and is associated with a high level of sickness absence . People who often report non-musculoskeletal symptoms were significantly more likely to report low back pain . Specific manual h and ling tasks were associated with an increased risk of back pain ; however , no such association was found with mechanised patient transfers
Overall studies showed that nursing activities conferred increased risk for , and were associated with back disorders regardless of nursing technique , personal characteristics , and non-work-related factors .
Patient h and ling appears to confer the highest risk , but other nursing duties are also associated with elevated risk , and confound dose – response assessment s related to patient h and ling alone .
A threshold of nursing activities below which the risk of back disorders is not elevated has not been established .
Abstract Background : Although non-specific low back pain ( LBP ) is known to be multifactorial , studies from across the globe have documented their higher prevalence in nurses .
This systematic review was conducted to ascertain whether this much-documented association constitutes a causal relationship , and whether there is a discernible threshold of exposures associated with this elevated risk .