Underreporting of work‐related low back pain among registered nurses: A mixed method study

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundIdentifying and addressing work‐related health problems early is crucial, but workers often perceive barriers in reporting these to management. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with nurses' reporting of work‐related low back pain to their managers and explored the reasons why nurses with patient handling injuries did not report them.MethodsThis study is a concurrent mixed‐method analysis of data from two statewide cross‐sectional surveys of California registered nurses conducted in 2013 and 2016. The reporting of work‐related low back pain to management (n = 288) was examined for associations with individual, occupational, and organizational factors. For qualitative analysis, the reasons for not reporting patient handling injuries were explored using open‐ended responses (n = 42).ResultsReporting was associated with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) men (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07−1.59) compared to non‐Hispanic White women; being a non‐US educated nurse (AOR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.80−1.01); experiencing greater low back pain (AOR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02−1.12); missing work (AOR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.21−2.62); perceiving high physical workload (AOR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81−0.98); perceiving high people‐oriented culture (AOR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04−1.25); and perceiving high ergonomic practices (AOR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81−0.98). Identified themes on the reasons for not reporting injuries included organizational‐culture attitudes toward work‐related injuries and injury characteristics of musculoskeletal disorders.ConclusionsThe findings indicate a need for management to remove structural barriers and improve organizational practices, and for a culture that promotes trust and open communication between workers and management.