Study design: A cross-sectional study among health care providers working at one hospital. Objective: To investigate the prevalence, the consequences and the risk factors associated with low back pain (LBP) among hospital staff. Materials and Methods:The study sample consisted of 931 health care providers who answered a pre-established questionnaire including 30 items in two languages. Results:The cumulative life-prevalence of LBP was 72.5% and the yearly prevalence was 56.9%. Chronic LBP prevalence was noted 5.1% of the cases. Treatment was sought in 34.1% of LBP sufferers and 7.3% required sick leave or absence from work due to LBP. Risk factors associated with LBP were professional categories, bad body posture, lifting objects or patients and the increased levels of lifting, levels of job satisfaction and stressful job demands. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of LBP among hospital staff, resulting in significant medical and socio-professional consequences. Many risk factors were identified that would necessitate multidisciplinary involvement to reduce the LBP incidence and related costs. Key Words: Low Back Pain (LBP); Hospital Members of Staff; Prevalence; Consequences; Risk Factors INTRODUCTIONLow back pain (LBP) is a very frequently occurring phenomenon. Among adults in the general population, 70-85% were believed to experience at least one episode of low back pain at some time during their lives 1 . The direct and indirect costs of LBP in terms of quality of life, productivity, and employee absenteeism are enormous, making this common condition the single largest contributor to musculoskeletal disability world wide 2 . LBP is associated with multiple risk factors, including gender, age, lifestyle, psychosocial profile, physical demands of the workplace, social support, and pain perception 3 . Hospital workers seem to have higher rates of LBP compared to the general population due to physical and emotional factors involved in their occupation, such as stress 4,6 . These rates are not well established in Malaysia. Hence, this purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of LBP among hospital workers in a hospital, query as to its consequences and to identify the risk factors associated with the LBP in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODSSelf-administered questionnaires were used in this survey. For the purposes of this study, health professionals were defined as the 8 largest groups of direct care providers in this hospital: doctors, staff nurses, community nurses, assistant medical officers, attendants, radiographers, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Staff members in these categories were invited to complete a standardized questionnaire composed of 30 items. The investigation took place over a period of 2 months (from Jan to February 2010). For the survey, LBP was defined as a mechanical pain of the lower part of the back. LBP associated with thigh or buttock pain radiating down the lower limb was also acceptable. Chronic LBP was defined by pain lasting for more than ...

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