File
Haile ST1
1St.Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Background: Low back pain (LBP) is an important problem in industrialized nations with many studies reporting that healthcare workers (HCW) present high risk for LBP.
Most LBP epidemiology studies only focused on high-income countries with little data available elsewhere. Internationally, the prevalence of work-related LBP ranges between 22% and 74%. Recently, LBP was most reported work-related musculoskeletal disorder among Nigerian physiotherapists, affecting 69.8%. With physiotherapy is just beginning in Ethiopia, a developing country, assessing magnitude of LBP and its determining factors among HCWs is needed for prevention
Purpose: To determine point prevalence of LBP among HCW in Ethiopia and to identify determining factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted in April 2016. A total of 286 respondents were recruited among 802 HCW selected randomly with proportions representatives of those working in eight HCW job categories within two hospitals and five health centers in Gondar town administration.
A pre-tested structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Area where LBP was felt indicated with a diagram. Current LBP history was recorded. Potential determinants surveyed included co-morbidities, as well as, socio-demographic, work environment, behavioural, psychosocial factors.
Prevalence estimates were calculated and odds ratios with 95% CI quantified the association between the exposure and outcome variable.
Results: The response rate was 98.9% from 283 participants including 163(57.6%) males and 120(42.4%) females from 2 hospital and 5 health centers.
Most 138(48.8%) were aged 20-29 years, 90(31.8%) 30-39 years and 55(19.4%) 40-49 years old and mean age was 31 with SD 8 years. Their mean service duration was 9 (SD 8) years. Most were nurses (90, 31.8%) and 67(23.67%) doctors/health officers. There were 8% of physiotherapists, 12% lab technicians, 10% pharmacists, 5% anesthetists, 7% midwives and 2% optometrists. Most worked at the university 198 (69.9%) and 40(14.1%) Defence hospitals with the rest 45(15.9%) at a health center.
Current LBP was reported by 155(54.8%) among which 24(15.5%) had acute LBP ( 3 months) and 131 (84.5%) had chronic LBP (>3 months).
Suspected determinants with strong significant association with LBP were: hospital work (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.09, 95%CI=1.02,4.32), job category (nurse, physiotherapy, lab tech, pharmacist, anesthetist, midwife and optometry AOR=2.48, 95%CI=1.06,5.79), smoking (AOR=4.57,95%CI=1.26,16.53), sedentary (AOR=1.70, 95%CI=1.02,2.84), sleep disturbance (AOR=4.95,95%CI=2.25,10.9), insufficient work breaks (AOR=1.84, 95%CI=1.04,3.23), >20 year service(AOR=3.65, 95%CI=1.38,9.66), poor interpersonal relations (AOR=3.06, 95%CI=1.24,7.51), depression (AOR=4.46, 95%CI=2.12,9.39) and asthma (AOR=3.25, 95%CI=1.15,9.2).
Conclusion(s): The prevalence of LBP among Ethiopian HCW was more than half with most presenting chronic LBP. Factors presenting strong association with LBP cross-sectionally were identified that could be studied longitudinally to help predict and prevent LBP. Heath managers should consider LBP in HCW an important problem with a similar prevalence (54.8%) as previously reported in Nigerian physiotherapists (69.8%). Our lower prevalence could be due to including HCW with lower job demands.
Implications: Many HCW were not aware about the important prevalence of LBP. Therefore, this research raises awareness about the importance of LBP in HCW. Most importantly disability may be preventable by studying if preventable causal factors were identified to help maximize physical and mental fitness to work.
Keywords: Low Back Pain, Health Care professionals, determinate factors
Funding acknowledgements: My heartfelt gratitude goes to advisors Dr. Takele and Dr. Yifokir ,university of Gondar for sponsoring and to study participants.
Most LBP epidemiology studies only focused on high-income countries with little data available elsewhere. Internationally, the prevalence of work-related LBP ranges between 22% and 74%. Recently, LBP was most reported work-related musculoskeletal disorder among Nigerian physiotherapists, affecting 69.8%. With physiotherapy is just beginning in Ethiopia, a developing country, assessing magnitude of LBP and its determining factors among HCWs is needed for prevention
Purpose: To determine point prevalence of LBP among HCW in Ethiopia and to identify determining factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted in April 2016. A total of 286 respondents were recruited among 802 HCW selected randomly with proportions representatives of those working in eight HCW job categories within two hospitals and five health centers in Gondar town administration.
A pre-tested structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Area where LBP was felt indicated with a diagram. Current LBP history was recorded. Potential determinants surveyed included co-morbidities, as well as, socio-demographic, work environment, behavioural, psychosocial factors.
Prevalence estimates were calculated and odds ratios with 95% CI quantified the association between the exposure and outcome variable.
Results: The response rate was 98.9% from 283 participants including 163(57.6%) males and 120(42.4%) females from 2 hospital and 5 health centers.
Most 138(48.8%) were aged 20-29 years, 90(31.8%) 30-39 years and 55(19.4%) 40-49 years old and mean age was 31 with SD 8 years. Their mean service duration was 9 (SD 8) years. Most were nurses (90, 31.8%) and 67(23.67%) doctors/health officers. There were 8% of physiotherapists, 12% lab technicians, 10% pharmacists, 5% anesthetists, 7% midwives and 2% optometrists. Most worked at the university 198 (69.9%) and 40(14.1%) Defence hospitals with the rest 45(15.9%) at a health center.
Current LBP was reported by 155(54.8%) among which 24(15.5%) had acute LBP ( 3 months) and 131 (84.5%) had chronic LBP (>3 months).
Suspected determinants with strong significant association with LBP were: hospital work (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.09, 95%CI=1.02,4.32), job category (nurse, physiotherapy, lab tech, pharmacist, anesthetist, midwife and optometry AOR=2.48, 95%CI=1.06,5.79), smoking (AOR=4.57,95%CI=1.26,16.53), sedentary (AOR=1.70, 95%CI=1.02,2.84), sleep disturbance (AOR=4.95,95%CI=2.25,10.9), insufficient work breaks (AOR=1.84, 95%CI=1.04,3.23), >20 year service(AOR=3.65, 95%CI=1.38,9.66), poor interpersonal relations (AOR=3.06, 95%CI=1.24,7.51), depression (AOR=4.46, 95%CI=2.12,9.39) and asthma (AOR=3.25, 95%CI=1.15,9.2).
Conclusion(s): The prevalence of LBP among Ethiopian HCW was more than half with most presenting chronic LBP. Factors presenting strong association with LBP cross-sectionally were identified that could be studied longitudinally to help predict and prevent LBP. Heath managers should consider LBP in HCW an important problem with a similar prevalence (54.8%) as previously reported in Nigerian physiotherapists (69.8%). Our lower prevalence could be due to including HCW with lower job demands.
Implications: Many HCW were not aware about the important prevalence of LBP. Therefore, this research raises awareness about the importance of LBP in HCW. Most importantly disability may be preventable by studying if preventable causal factors were identified to help maximize physical and mental fitness to work.
Keywords: Low Back Pain, Health Care professionals, determinate factors
Funding acknowledgements: My heartfelt gratitude goes to advisors Dr. Takele and Dr. Yifokir ,university of Gondar for sponsoring and to study participants.
Topic: Musculoskeletal: spine
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: University of Gondar, Public health Department
Ethics committee: Ethical committee of the University of Gondar.
Ethics number: There is no number however permission received from Ethical committee.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
