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D. Shiratsuchi1, K. Hashimoto1, K. Sedaka2, N. Hamada1, D. Yoshida3
1Japan Community Health Care Organization Kumamoto General Hospital, Department of Rehabilitation, Yatsushiro-shi, Japan, 2Japan Community Health Care Organization Kumamoto General Hospital, Department of Nursing, Yatsushiro-shi, Japan, 3Nagasaki Rehabilitation College, Department of Physical Therapy, Omura-shi, Japan
Background: Presenteeism may lead to a decrease in work performance. In recent years, the concept of presenteeism among medical staff has become an important issue. A large number of nurses, approximately 1.22 million, are employed in Japan. Managing the high occurrence of occupational low back pain has become a major problem in nursing. However, the link between nursing presenteeism and low back pain has not yet been fully clarified, and limited research has been conducted to determine their relationship.
Purpose: This study aims to
1) estimate the economic loss due to nurse presenteeism in an acute care hospital and
2) examine the relationship between presenteeism and low back pain between two groups, working inside or outside a ward.
1) estimate the economic loss due to nurse presenteeism in an acute care hospital and
2) examine the relationship between presenteeism and low back pain between two groups, working inside or outside a ward.
Methods: Three hundred and ninety-seven nurses working in an acute care hospital participated in this study. We distributed a questionnaire on basic attributes, low back pain, presenteeism, and depression. Additionally, we used the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: General Health (WPAI) to evaluate presenteeism, and the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (QIDS-J) to evaluate depression. Based on previous studies, economic losses were estimated by multiplying the average annual income by the value of presenteeism. For statistical analysis, nurses were divided into two groups: those working inside and those working outside wards, and the results were compared between the groups. Moreover, we examined the factors related to presenteeism using binomial logistic regression analysis in each group.
Results: A total of 278 participants responded to the questionnaire, with a response rate of 70.0%. Among the participants, 222 (89.5%) were female, of whom 129 (52.0%) had low back pain. The average score of presenteeism was 1.8, with an annual economic loss of $8,120 per nurse. The comparison between groups working in wards and those outside showed a significant difference in age (35.7±11.0 vs. 40.6±8.4, P< 0.01) and years of experience (10.7±9.6 vs. 17.5±8.7, P<0.01). A logistic regression analysis was conducted, and the presence/absence of presenteeism had a significant association with age (adjusted odds ratio: 1.07, P=0.03). The presence or absence of low back pain (adjusted odds ratio: 0.45, P=0.02), and QIDS-J (adjusted odds ratio: 3.68, P<0.01) among nurses working in wards, were in contrast with only QIDS-J (adjusted odds ratio: 2.70, P=0.03) among the nurses working outside wards.
Conclusion(s): The estimated economic loss per nurse due to presenteeism was $8,120 (average annual income:＄45,115×average presenteeism: 0.18). Our findings suggest that low back pain is associated with presenteeism in nurses working in wards.
Implications: Factors related to nurses’ presenteeism may differ depending on the department they work in, and it may be necessary to stratify attempts to improve nurses’ presenteeism.
Funding, acknowledgements: We would like to thank all the nurses who participated and all those involved in this study.
Keywords: presenteeism, low back pain, nurse
Topic: Occupational health & ergonomics
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Japan Community Health Care Organization Kumamoto General Hospital
Committee: Institutional Review Board
Ethics number: No.160
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
