Physical recreational activity and musculoskeletal disorders in nurses

Abstract

Background: The role of physical activity (PA) in the prevention and treatment of civilization diseases has been recognized by the medical society. Despite extensive knowledge and well-documented evidence of health aspects of PA, the identification and assessment of the PA level in various social and professional groups are still needed. The main goal of this research was to work out a preliminary assessment of possible relationship between recreational physical activity and reduced common musculoskeletal disorders in nurses. Material and Methods: The study included 93 nurses, aged 41.4±7.31, with body height of 164.4±7.04 and body weight of 64.5±10.8. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was applied to assess pain and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) (long version) to assess the level of physical activity. The intergroup differences, due to the occurrence of pain and physical activity levels, were determined using the Mann Whitney test and the Kruskal Wallis test. To evaluate the significance of individual factors potentially influencing the onset of musculoskeletal pains, the Chi2 test for independence was performed. Results: Over 70% of the examined nurses reported musculoskeletal complaints, mostly related with lower back pain. Taking up recreational activity, of at least moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), reduces the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: It is most likely that recreational physical activity at appropriate parameters may prevent musculoskeletal disorders, especially in nurses with long work experience. However, this hypothesis needs to be verified by experimental studies with use of objective tools for the assessment of physical activity. © Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź.