Cross-sectional associations between occupational factors and musculoskeletal pain in women teachers, nurses and sonographers

Abstract

BackgroundIt is usually assumed that musculoskeletal pain is associated with both the physical workload and the psychosocial work environment, as well as with personal and lifestyle factors. This study aims to ascertain the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in women with varying or different occupational exposures, and to explore the associations between musculoskeletal pain and the occupational and personal factors.MethodsA questionnaire on physical, psychosocial and individual factors was answered by 1591 women in five occupational groups with contrasting occupational exposures (teachers, anaesthetic, theatre, and assistant nurses, and sonographers). The outcome measure was musculoskeletal pain (in a new model based on frequency and intensity of complaints the preceding year) from the neck, shoulders, hands, lower back and feet.ResultsNeck pain was equally frequent among teachers, assistant nurses and sonographers, and less frequent in anaesthetic and theatre nurses. The sonographers experienced the highest prevalence of shoulder pain, while the assistant nurses were the most affected in the wrists and hands, lower back, and feet.The teachers reported the highest scores in most of the psychosocial dimensions. The theatre nurses scored highest in strenuous work postures and movements (mechanical exposure index, MEI), and the assistant nurses in physical activity and lifting (physical exposure index, PHYI). Multivariable models in the total population showed that both the physical workload and the psychosocial work environment were associated with pain in all body regions, though different factors affected different regions. Pain in the neck, shoulders, hands and lower back was strongly associated with a high MEI and high job demands, while pain in the feet was associated with a high PHYI and a high BMI. A young age was associated with pain in the neck, and an older age was associated with pain in the hands and feet. Lack of time for personal recovery was associated with pain in the shoulders and lower back.ConclusionsThe occupational groups were affected differently and need different protective measures. For the teachers, the psychosocial work environment should be improved. The surgical staff and sonographers require measures to mitigate lifting and constrained postures.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12891-016-0883-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluation of the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in nurses: A systematic review

“…Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a group of disease that mainly affects nurses among healthcare providers [1][2][3]. These diseases are characterized by pain and complaint in hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck, low back, foot and legs.…”

Evaluation of body posture in nursing students

“…There is previous evidence of overload of the upper limbs in these professionals (27) ; pain in the neck, shoulders, hands, and lumbar area may be associated with movements with the upper limbs suspended and high work demands. For the cervical region, some situations tend to lead to increased muscle tension, such as those requiring a lot of attention and visual activity, including reading of medication labels and intravenous feeding of patients.…”

“…Therefore, it is essential to prevent postural injuries, because nursing is a profession characterized by prolonged static, asymmetrical, twisted postures associated with activities such as support for surgeries and instrumentation, or even movement of patients (27) . Quantitative analysis of the body posture of nursing students showed that most angles presented deviation from normality (22) , indicating that they presented significant alterations.…”

Fatores associados à dor musculoesquelética em estudantes de enfermagem

“…Resultados: nos últimos sete dias, predominou dor musculoesquelética na região lombar (61,1%) e pescoço (54,4%). Observou-se associação de dor na região do pescoço com o uso de bebida alcoólica (OR=2,84; IC95%=1,29), nas pernas com fazer vivências acadêmicas (OR=2,03; IC95%=1,05-4,00), e nos ombros com não realizar atividade física (OR=2,13; IC95%=1,01-4,45) e não ter tempo para o lazer (OR= 2,08; IC95%= 1,(3)(4)22). Conclusões: devido ao elevado percentual de dor musculoesquelética, faz-se necessária adoção de medidas de prevenção desse agravo ainda na academia.…”

“…3 Entre esses profissionais, a Enfermagem apresenta elevados percentuais de DME. Nessa perspectiva, faz-se importante a identificação dos aspectos acadêmicos e hábitos de saúde, como o uso de bebida alcóolica, tabagismo e atividade física, os quais podem estar relacionados ao desenvolvimento de DME.…”