Assessment of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Hospital nurses

Abstract

Background: Work-related Musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are one of the major occupational health problems in nursing professional that is characterized as multifactorial. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors contributing to WMSDs among hospital nurses. Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted among               70 hospital nurses working in tertiary care hospital of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The validated self-structured questionnaire was used to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of WMSDs by using random sampling technique. The socio demographic and occupational information were also obtained from hospital nurses. Result: The results revealed that 66 out of 70 hospital nurses had reported pain and discomfort in any of these nine body regions (lower back, knees, shoulder, neck, ankle/feet, upper back, hip/thigh, wrist/hand, and elbows). The commonest region of pain and discomfort was found in low back (64.3%), then in knees (52.9%) and in shoulder (42.9%). WMSDs have significant relationship at p<0.05 with age, marital status, number of children, professional qualification, BMI, level of tiredness and working with vibrating tools. Conclusion: Work place influences the development of WMSDs among hospital nurses. Educational programmes on prevention and coping strategies for WMSDs may be implied to reduce the rate of occupational hazards and promote efficiency in patient care.