Patterns of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among health care workers

Abstract

Background: Work –related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) is a high cost problem in the healthcare industry and one of the leading causes of disability among health care workers (HCWs). It is an ongoing problem due to frequent patients handling with limited resources, time constraints & repeated shifts. Objective: To determine the prevalence & severity of WRMDs among HCWs at Benha University Hospitals (BUHs), to identify the risk factors of WRMDs and finally, to recommend a program for prevention. Patients and methods: It was a cross-sectional included 343 of HCWs at BUHs from 1st May 2019 to the end of December 2019 using an interview questionnaire incorporating the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Results: The majority of the studied group were females (81.9%) with a mean age of 35 ± 7.5 years old. Nurses represented more than two thirds of the studied group (67.1%) while 25.9% were doctors and only (7%) were service workers. The prevalence of chronic MSDs among studied group was 81%. Chronic lower back pain (LBP) was the most prominent complaint in the last 12 months (81%), while only (14.3%) complained of chronic elbow pain. (WRMDs) were significantly higher among those who keep prolonged static and awkward posture, those having work shift, over-time work, those who felt hard to keep-up with work pace and those who did not have enough rest time during working hours and did not have regular rest at work. Conclusion: Work–related musculoskeletal disorders have a great impact on the workers, the organization and the society as a whole. So measures to prevent them are recommended.