Florentino Serranheira1,2,3, Mafalda Sousa-Uva1, António Sousa-Uva1,2,3. 1. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. 2. Centro de Malária e Doenças Tropicais - Saúde Pública, Lisbon, Portugal. 3. Centro de Investigação em Saúde Pública, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hospital work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) symptoms are highly prevalent and nurses are considered the health care professional group more often affected by WRMSDs. OBJECTIVES: Understanding the effects of nursing tasks on WRMSDs symptoms. METHODS: Portuguese nurses answered to a modified Nordic Musculoskeletal symptoms Questionnaire. The increased likelihood of having WRMSDs symptoms was estimated from a daily working task schedule and the probability of suffering from lumbar WRMSDs symptoms intensity was also estimated. RESULTS: Hospital nurses studied (n= 1.396) were mainly females (75.8%), and most of them reported more than 1 symptom (88%). Low-back pain was the most prevalent complaint (60.9%). Tasks performed more than 10 times a day, such as invasive procedures (OR = 2.142); care of hygiene and patient comfort in bed (OR = 2.484); patient mobilization in bed (OR = 2.022); and patient feeding (OR = 2.186) had an effect on dorsal and lumbar symptoms (p< 0.05).Those tasks involving invasive procedures were just the only ones producing symptoms simultaneously on every studied body part, such as lumbar, dorsal, wrist/hand and ankles/feet areas. CONCLUSIONS: Tasks with a greater effect on low-back pain intensity were patient bed feeding and patient hygiene and care. We found, when analysing simultaneously the effects of every task on the likelihood of having low-back symptoms, that involving invasive procedures were that only ones affecting simultaneously the presence of almost all WRMSDs symptoms studied.
BACKGROUND: Hospital work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) symptoms are highly prevalent and nurses are considered the health care professional group more often affected by WRMSDs. OBJECTIVES: Understanding the effects of nursing tasks on WRMSDs symptoms. METHODS: Portuguese nurses answered to a modified Nordic Musculoskeletal symptoms Questionnaire. The increased likelihood of having WRMSDs symptoms was estimated from a daily working task schedule and the probability of suffering from lumbar WRMSDs symptoms intensity was also estimated. RESULTS: Hospital nurses studied (n= 1.396) were mainly females (75.8%), and most of them reported more than 1 symptom (88%). Low-back pain was the most prevalent complaint (60.9%). Tasks performed more than 10 times a day, such as invasive procedures (OR = 2.142); care of hygiene and patient comfort in bed (OR = 2.484); patient mobilization in bed (OR = 2.022); and patient feeding (OR = 2.186) had an effect on dorsal and lumbar symptoms (p< 0.05).Those tasks involving invasive procedures were just the only ones producing symptoms simultaneously on every studied body part, such as lumbar, dorsal, wrist/hand and ankles/feet areas. CONCLUSIONS: Tasks with a greater effect on low-back pain intensity were patient bed feeding and patient hygiene and care. We found, when analysing simultaneously the effects of every task on the likelihood of having low-back symptoms, that involving invasive procedures were that only ones affecting simultaneously the presence of almost all WRMSDs symptoms studied.