Health Care Workers’s Low Back Pain (Lbp) Prevalence And Risk Factors; A Study At Najran University Hospital
Main Article Content
Keywords
Study, Low, Participants, long-term, physical
Abstract
Background: Untreated low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common health issues and the most
widespread type of musculoskeletal disorder. It is one of the leading causes of absenteeism among
workers and this extends to Saudi Arabian healthcare workers as well.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to use a self-design questionnaire to determine the
prevalence of LBP and examine possible risk variables among all types of HCWs employed at various
levels of care in Najran University Hospital
Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. A self-made questionnaire that the researchers
employed was based on the most recent literature that had been published. After the tools were
validated, data were gathered between December 2021 and March 2022 utilizing a questionnaire and
online forms.
Results: Participants in the research had a median age of 36 years and a mean age of 37.43 + 7.13
years. The age range with the highest prevalence was (31-40 years) (n=47, 56%). Participants in the
research had an average BMI of 27.65 kg/m2. Among the study participants, 38 of the enrolled subjects
claimed to experience low back pain. Participants with low back pain were 4.325 times more likely
than non-painful participants to experience long-term low back discomfort. Additionally, those who
worked night shifts had a 1.62 times greater chance of acquiring low back pain condition (95% CI:
1.05, 2.86).
Conclusion: LBP is a prevalent issue among HCWs. Numerous preventable risk factors have been
identified, including strenuous back injuries, higher BMIs, and a lack of regular physical activity.
Programs for workplace health and safety that encourage regular exercise and offer ergonomically
secure working conditions are necessary.
References
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21. Awaji M. Epidemiology of low back pain in Saudi Arabia. J Adv Med Pharm Sci. 2016;6(4):1-9.
22. Behisi MA, Al-Otaibi ST, Beach J. Back pain among health care workers in a Saudi Aramco facility: Prevalence and associated factors. Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health. 2013;68(1):30-8.
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24. Johnson OE, Edward E. Prevalence and risk factors of low back pain among workers in a health facility in South-South Nigeria. British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research. 2016;11(8).
25. Bin Homaid M, Abdelmoety D, Alshareef W, Alghamdi A, Alhozali F, Alfahmi N, et al. Prevalence and risk factors of low back pain among operation room staff at a Tertiary Care Center, Makkah, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. Annals of occupational and environmental medicine. 2016;28(1):1-8.
26. Glover W. Work-related strain injuries in physiotherapists: prevalence and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Physiotherapy. 2002;88(6):364-72.
27. Shieh S-H, Sung F-C, Su C-H, Tsai Y, Hsieh VCR. Increased low back pain risk in nurses with high workload for patient care: A questionnaire survey. Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2016;55(4):525-9.
28. Anderson SP, Oakman J. Allied health professionals and work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review. Safety and health at work. 2016;7(4):259-67.
29. Engkvist I-L, Hjelm EW, Hagberg M, Menckel E, Ekenvall L. Risk indicators for reported over- exertion back injuries among female nursing personnel. LWW; 2000. p. 519-22.
30. Hoy D, Bain C, Williams G, March L, Brooks P, Blyth F, et al. A systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain. Arthritis & Rheumatism. 2012;64(6):2028-37.
31. Jensen JN, Holtermann A, Clausen T, Mortensen OS, Carneiro IG, Andersen LL. The greatest risk for low-back pain among newly educated female health care workers; body weight or physical work load? BMC Musculoskeletal disorders. 2012;13(1):1-6.
32. Mirtz TA, Greene L. Is obesity a risk factor for low back pain? An example of using the evidence to answer a clinical question. Chiropractic & osteopathy. 2005;13(1):1-6.
33. Shiri R, Karppinen J, Leino-Arjas P, Solovieva S, Viikari-Juntura E. The association between obesity and low back pain: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2009;171(2):135-54.
34. Hu H, Chou Y-J, Chou P, Chen L, Huang N. Association between obesity and injury among Taiwanese adults. International journal of obesity. 2009;33(8):878-84.
35. Tilg H, Moschen AR. Adipocytokines: mediators linking adipose tissue, inflammation and immunity. Nature Reviews Immunology. 2006;6(10):772-83.
36. Terzi R, Altın F. The prevalence of low back pain in hospital staff and its relationship with chronic fatigue syndrome and occupational factors. Agri: Agri (Algoloji) Dernegi'nin Yayin organidir= The journal of the Turkish Society of Algology. 2015;27(3):149-54.
37. Shiri R, Falah-Hassani K. Does leisure time physical activity protect against low back pain? Systematic review and meta-analysis of 36 prospective cohort studies. British journal of sports medicine. 2017;51(19):1410-8.
38. Halliday MH, Pappas E, Hancock MJ, Clare HA, Pinto RZ, Robertson G, et al. A randomized controlled trial comparing the McKenzie method to motor control exercises in people with chronic low back pain and a directional preference. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2016;46(7):514-22.
39. Kamper SJ, Apeldoorn AT, Chiarotto A, Smeets RJ, Ostelo RW, Guzman J, et al. Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for chronic low back pain: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. Bmj. 2015;350.
40. Maniadakis N, Gray A. The economic burden of back pain in the UK. Pain. 2000;84(1):95-103.
41. Mehrdad R, Shams-Hosseini NS, Aghdaei S, Yousefian M. Prevalence of low back pain in health care workers and comparison with other occupational categories in Iran: a systematic review. Iranian journal of medical sciences. 2016;41(6):467.
42. Hegazy A, Awadalla N, Shenouda N. Prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among dentists in some Egyptian cities. Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine. 2009;33(1):55-71.
2. Al-Arfaj AS, Al-Saleh SS, Alballa SR, Al-Dalaan AN, Bahabri SA, Al-Sekeit MA, et al. How common is back pain in Al-Qaseem region. Saudi medical journal. 2003;24(2):170-3.
3. Elnaggar RK, Elshazly FA, Elsayed WS, Ahmed AS. Determinants and relative risks of low back pain among the employees in Al-Kharj area, Saudi Arabia. Eur J Sci Res. 2015;135(3):299308.
4. Stewart WF, Ricci JA, Chee E, Morganstein D, Lipton R. Lost productive time and cost due to common pain conditions in the US workforce. Jama. 2003;290(18):2443-54.
5. Al Dajah S, Al Daghdi A. Prevalence and risk factors of low back pain among nurses in Sudayr region. European Scientific Journal. 2013;9(33).
6. Al Wassan K, Almas K, Al Shethri S, Al Qahtani M. Back & neck problems among dentists and dental auxiliaries. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2001;2(3):17-30.
7. Al-Eisa E, Al-Abbad H. Occupational back pain among rehabilitation nurses in Saudi Arabia: The influence of knowledge and awareness.
Workplace health & safety. 2013;61(9):401-7.
8. Alghadir A, Zafar H, Iqbal ZA, Al-Eisa E. Workrelated low back pain among physical therapists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Workplace health & safety. 2017;65(8):337-45.
9. Valachi B, Valachi K. Mechanisms leading to musculoskeletal disorders in dentistry. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 2003;134(10):1344-50.
10. Abbas M, Zaid L, Fiala L, Alhamdan N. Prevalence and risk factors of low back pain among nurses in four tertiary care hospitals at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, KSA. The Med J Cairo Univ. 2010;78(2):219-23.
11. Abdul Monem A, Nizar A, Abdullaha A. Prevalence and associated factors of low back pain among clinicians of a major referral hospital. Med J Malay. 2015;70:12-7.
12. Alnefaie MN, Alamri AA, Hariri AF, Alsaad MS, Alsulami AM, Abbas AM, et al. Musculoskeletal symptoms among surgeons at a tertiary care center: a survey based study. Medical Archives. 2019;73(1):49.
13. Meisha DE, Alsharqawi NS, Samarah AA, AlGhamdi MY. Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic practice among dentists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry. 2019;11:171.
14. Alzidani TH, Alturkistani AM, Alzahrani BS, Aljuhani AM, Alzahrani KM. Prevalence and risk factors of low back pain among Taif surgeons. Prevalence. 2018;7(3):172-7.
15. Aseri KS, Mulla AA, Alwaraq RM, Bahannan RJ. Characterizing Occupational Low Back Pain among Surgeons Working in Ministry of Health Hospitals in Jeddah City: Prevalence, Clinical Features, Risk, and Protective Factors. Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Medical Sciences. 2019;26(2).
16. Muaidi QI, Shanb AA. Prevalence causes and impact of work related musculoskeletal disorders among physical therapists. Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. 2016;29(4):763-9.
17. Alnaami I, Awadalla NJ, Alkhairy M, Alburidy S, Alqarni A, Algarni A, et al. Prevalence and factors associated with low back pain among health care workers in southwestern Saudi Arabia. BMC musculoskeletal disorders. 2019;20(1):1-7.
18. Gouveia N, Rodrigues A, Ramiro S, Eusébio M, Machado PM, Canhao H, et al. The use of analgesic and other pain‐relief drugs to manage chronic low back pain: results from a national survey. Pain Practice. 2017;17(3):353-65.
19. Leijon O, Wiktorin C, Härenstam A, Karlqvist L. Validity of a self-administered questionnaire for assessing physical work loads in a general population. Journal of occupational and environmental Medicine. 2002:724-35.
20. Holtermann A, Clausen T, Aust B, Mortensen OS, Andersen LL. Risk for low back pain from different frequencies, load mass and trunk postures of lifting and carrying among female healthcare workers. International archives of occupational and environmental health. 2013;86(4):463-70.
21. Awaji M. Epidemiology of low back pain in Saudi Arabia. J Adv Med Pharm Sci. 2016;6(4):1-9.
22. Behisi MA, Al-Otaibi ST, Beach J. Back pain among health care workers in a Saudi Aramco facility: Prevalence and associated factors. Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health. 2013;68(1):30-8.
23. Dario AB, Ferreira ML, Refshauge KM, Lima TS, Ordoñana JR, Ferreira PH. The relationship between obesity, low back pain, and lumbar disc degeneration when genetics and the environment are considered: a systematic review of twin studies. The spine journal. 2015;15(5):1106-17.
24. Johnson OE, Edward E. Prevalence and risk factors of low back pain among workers in a health facility in South-South Nigeria. British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research. 2016;11(8).
25. Bin Homaid M, Abdelmoety D, Alshareef W, Alghamdi A, Alhozali F, Alfahmi N, et al. Prevalence and risk factors of low back pain among operation room staff at a Tertiary Care Center, Makkah, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. Annals of occupational and environmental medicine. 2016;28(1):1-8.
26. Glover W. Work-related strain injuries in physiotherapists: prevalence and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Physiotherapy. 2002;88(6):364-72.
27. Shieh S-H, Sung F-C, Su C-H, Tsai Y, Hsieh VCR. Increased low back pain risk in nurses with high workload for patient care: A questionnaire survey. Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2016;55(4):525-9.
28. Anderson SP, Oakman J. Allied health professionals and work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review. Safety and health at work. 2016;7(4):259-67.
29. Engkvist I-L, Hjelm EW, Hagberg M, Menckel E, Ekenvall L. Risk indicators for reported over- exertion back injuries among female nursing personnel. LWW; 2000. p. 519-22.
30. Hoy D, Bain C, Williams G, March L, Brooks P, Blyth F, et al. A systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain. Arthritis & Rheumatism. 2012;64(6):2028-37.
31. Jensen JN, Holtermann A, Clausen T, Mortensen OS, Carneiro IG, Andersen LL. The greatest risk for low-back pain among newly educated female health care workers; body weight or physical work load? BMC Musculoskeletal disorders. 2012;13(1):1-6.
32. Mirtz TA, Greene L. Is obesity a risk factor for low back pain? An example of using the evidence to answer a clinical question. Chiropractic & osteopathy. 2005;13(1):1-6.
33. Shiri R, Karppinen J, Leino-Arjas P, Solovieva S, Viikari-Juntura E. The association between obesity and low back pain: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2009;171(2):135-54.
34. Hu H, Chou Y-J, Chou P, Chen L, Huang N. Association between obesity and injury among Taiwanese adults. International journal of obesity. 2009;33(8):878-84.
35. Tilg H, Moschen AR. Adipocytokines: mediators linking adipose tissue, inflammation and immunity. Nature Reviews Immunology. 2006;6(10):772-83.
36. Terzi R, Altın F. The prevalence of low back pain in hospital staff and its relationship with chronic fatigue syndrome and occupational factors. Agri: Agri (Algoloji) Dernegi'nin Yayin organidir= The journal of the Turkish Society of Algology. 2015;27(3):149-54.
37. Shiri R, Falah-Hassani K. Does leisure time physical activity protect against low back pain? Systematic review and meta-analysis of 36 prospective cohort studies. British journal of sports medicine. 2017;51(19):1410-8.
38. Halliday MH, Pappas E, Hancock MJ, Clare HA, Pinto RZ, Robertson G, et al. A randomized controlled trial comparing the McKenzie method to motor control exercises in people with chronic low back pain and a directional preference. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2016;46(7):514-22.
39. Kamper SJ, Apeldoorn AT, Chiarotto A, Smeets RJ, Ostelo RW, Guzman J, et al. Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for chronic low back pain: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. Bmj. 2015;350.
40. Maniadakis N, Gray A. The economic burden of back pain in the UK. Pain. 2000;84(1):95-103.
41. Mehrdad R, Shams-Hosseini NS, Aghdaei S, Yousefian M. Prevalence of low back pain in health care workers and comparison with other occupational categories in Iran: a systematic review. Iranian journal of medical sciences. 2016;41(6):467.
42. Hegazy A, Awadalla N, Shenouda N. Prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among dentists in some Egyptian cities. Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine. 2009;33(1):55-71.
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Published
Jun 15, 2023
Article Details
How to Cite
Wael M. Alzahrani. (2023). Health Care Workers’s Low Back Pain (Lbp) Prevalence And Risk Factors; A Study At Najran University Hospital. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 30(15), e350–e361. https://doi.org/10.53555/jptcp.v30i15.2188
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Author Biography
Wael M. Alzahrani
Assistant professor & consultant of orthopedic surgery.Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia