Course of low back pain among nurses: a longitudinal study across eight years

• Published in: Occupational and environmental medicine (London, England) Vol. 60; no. 7; pp. 497 - 503
• Main Authors: Maul, I, Läubli, T, Klipstein, A, Krueger, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.07.2003; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Back pain; Biological and medical sciences; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Diseases of the spine; Disorders; Female; Humans; LBP; LMD; localised musculoskeletal disorders; Longitudinal Studies; longitudinal study; Low back pain; Low Back Pain - physiopathology; Medical sciences; Musculoskeletal diseases; Musculoskeletal disorders; Nurses; nursing; Nursing Staff, Hospital; Occupational Diseases - physiopathology; Original; Pain; Pain Measurement; Participation; Patient assessment; Questionnaires; Response rates; Surveys and Questionnaires; Switzerland - epidemiology; working conditions; Switzerland; Europe; Musculoskeletal diseases; Relapse; Prevalence; Lumbar spine; Health staff; Low back pain; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Spine disease; Recurrent; Occupational exposure; Epidemiology; Pain; Follow up study; Rachialgia; Hospital; Professional activity; Occupational medicine; Nurse
• ISSN: 1351-0711; 1470-7926
• DOI: 10.1136/oem.60.7.497

Aims: To describe the course of low back pain (LBP) among nurses across eight years. Methods: A longitudinal study was performed with a follow up at 1 and 8 years among nurses employed by a large university hospital in Switzerland. A modified version of the Nordic Questionnaire was distributed to obtain information about demographic data, occupational activities, and various aspects of LBP. A clinical examination and several functional tests were used to overcome the problems associated with subjective pain reporting. Nurses having answered the questionnaire on all three occasions (n = 269) were classified into subgroups according to their pain intensity. For each subgroup the course of LBP was recorded. Results: LBP was highly prevalent with an annual prevalence varying from 73% to 76%. A large percentage (38%) indicated the same intensity of LBP on all three occasions. The proportion of nurses reporting repeated increase of LBP (19%) was approximately as large as the proportion who complained about repeated decrease of LBP (17%). Conclusion: It became evident that LBP poses a persistent problem among nurses. Over an eight year period almost half of the nurses indicated the same intensity of LBP, thus supporting a recurrent rather than a progressive nature of LBP.