Association between low back pain perception and occupational in hospital nursing professionals

Abstract

Introduction: Low back pain can be defined as pain and/or discomfort between the coastal margins of the lowest rib and the gluteal fold, and it can cause motor dysfunction, loss of productivity, and changes in job function. There is a greater number of nursing professionals in hospital environments, and, regardless of their numerical contingent, they have the highest percentage of absenteeism due to this condition. Objectives: To evaluate the association between perception of low back pain and occupational stress in hospital nursing professionals. Methods: Eleven nurses and 95 practical nurses (n = 106) were evaluated on their perception of low back pain (Visual Analogue Scale) and occupational stress (job stress scale) using the Demand-Control Model. The chi-square test was used to assess associations between categorial variables (p < 0.05). Results: Low back pain was reported by 74% of the study sample (n = 81). Assessment of occupational stress using the Demand-Control Model showed that 54.7% (n = 58) had low psychological demand and 63.2% (n = 67) had high control at work. Active work was observed in 33% (n = 35) and low demand at work in 30.2% (n = 32). There were no significantly associations between the perception of low back pain and the occupational stress domains described by the Demand-Control Model (p = 0.721). Conclusions: Although there was a high prevalence of low back pain in this sample of nursing professionals, it was not associated with occupational stress.