Prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among haemodialysis nurses – a comparison between Danish and Swedish samples

Abstract

The repetitiveness of priming and dismantling disposables for haemodialysis treatments might be an important contributor to musculoskeletal complaints. The objective was therefore to compare the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among haemodialysis nurses in Denmark and Sweden. Methods. For this cross-sectional study, nurses were recruited from haemodialysis centres in Denmark (n = 194) and Sweden (n = 351). Prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints was evaluated using the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. Results. The percentage of nurses reporting musculoskeletal complaints from at least one part of their body was 90.2% in the Danish sample and 88.9% in the Swedish sample. The anatomical locations with the most complaints were the neck, lower back and hands. Except for the proportion of complaints concerning the neck, there were no differences between the countries. Absenteeism from work was mostly due to complaints regarding the hands. Conclusion. The prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints seems to be higher among haemodialysis nurses than among nurses in general. Because complaints concerning the hands are common, and also related to absenteeism from work, it is of particular importance that manufacturers of dialysis equipment and nurse managers acknowledge these occupational health and safety hazards in their efforts to create a good work environment.

Diagnóstico para aprimoramento do nível de segurança ocupacional em um serviço de hemodiálise

“…The analysis of the most frequent symptoms reported by the interviewees shows that fatigue and headaches frequently affect professionals in the hemodialysis sector. This diverges from a recent study 14 that found that the most frequent symptoms were related to musculoskeletal disorders. It is possible that this difference 15 occurs because professionals in the sector are frequently exposed to ergonomic risks, such as stressful environment, work overload and understaffing.…”

Effectiveness of Interventions to Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders among District Hospital Nurses in Vietnam

“…Therefore, although there have been many studies and trial studies of various interventions aimed at preventing MSDs, current data still show a high prevalence of MSDs among nurses, even in countries with developed occupational disease prevention systems [ 22 – 24 ]. This raises questions about the effectiveness of these interventions and how to apply them effectively in the hospital setting for nurses.…”

Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Disorders among the Teaching Staff of the University of Douala, Cameroon: Association with Physical Activity Practice

“…The prevalence of MSDs worldwide is 20% to 33% [ 2 ]. It varies according to the type of activity [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ] and affects both adolescents [ 11 ] and adults [ 5 ]. Teachers frequently present higher prevalence of MSDs, ranging from 39% to 95% [ 10 , 12 ].…”