Low back pain among health workers

Abstract

Introduction. Back pain is often present among health workers. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of gender and years of work experience on the incidence of low back pain. Material and Methods. A prospective cross-sectional study included 67 subjects of both genders, and it was conducted in the period between June 1 and 15, 2020, in two health centers in Serbia. The impact of gender, age, years of work experience on the incidence of low back pain was analyzed, measured by the Roland-Morris disability questionnaire. Results. In the examined sample (n = 67), the majority were females (55, 82.1%). The average age of the respondents was 45.5 ? 12.2 years, with an average work experience of 20.62 ? 12.03 years. Low back pain was present in 35 subjects (52.2%). There was no statistically significant difference between male and female subjects regarding the Roland-Morris disability score (3.83 ? 4.50 vs. 4.96 ? 4.53; p > 0.05). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the age of subjects and the Roland-Morris disability score (r = 0.407; p < 0.01). Subjects with more years of work experience presented with a higher Roland-Morris disability score (r = 0.371; p < 0.01). Conclusion. Low back pain is common in older health workers with longer work experience, regardless of the level of formal education. Additional education of health workers on the application of protective attitudes, movements, and exercise, is needed in order to prevent the development of low back pain in the work environment.