Prevalence and Perceptions of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Hospital Nurses in Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi Pakistan; A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a matter of worrisome for both staff and employers. The phrase “musculoskeletal disorders” refers to a group of ailments that injure the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and joints and are frequently accompanied by pain, discomfort, and incapacity. Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in nurses and to assess the perception of risk factors which are associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders in nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional research study was conducted at Civil Hospital and Dow University Hospital Karachi. The data were collected from a sample of 336 nurses using non-probability convenience sampling. Results: The result of this study showed that the lower back region was the most popular with 29.2% of the respondents experiencing pain, followed by neck and shoulder (21.2% each), upper back (16.6%), wrist (6.6%), knees (2.5%), thumb (1.1%), ankles (1.1%) and hips (0.5%). The musculoskeletal disorders affect both male and female similarly. Conclusions: It was concluded that hospital nurses are highly susceptible to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The lower back is the most commonly affected body part. Factors such as prolonged standing, awkward postures, and the same task over and over again as contributing factors to work-related musculoskeletal disorders.