Low Back Pain and Its Influencing Factors among Intensive Care Unit Nurses: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Objectives: This study determined the associated factors with low back pain in intensive care unit nurses.Methods: In this cross-sectional correlational study, 85 nurses working at five intensive care units completed questionnaires on the low back pain using visual analogue scale (VAS), use of body mechanics, work-related factors, the Oswestry disability index (%), the FACIT-fatigue, and the mini-sleep questionnaire. A back pain score of ≥ 4 was considered significant. Data were analyzed with χ2 test, unpaired t-test, Pearson correlation analysis and logistic regression.Results: Forty-five nurses (52.9%) had a significant low back pain score of ≥ 4 (VAS). Higher low back pain was associated with greater use of body mechanics (r = 0.37, p= 0.001), higher disability index (r = 0.72, p< 0.001), greater fatigue (r = 0.59, p< 0.001), and poorer sleep quality (r = 0.36, p= 0.001). Low back pain was associated with heavy workload (odds ratio, OR: 4.20, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.40-12.58) and long standing to work (OR: 3.54, 95% CI: 1.20-10.48). Low back pain was associated with fatigue (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.08-1.30) after adjusting covariates.Conclusions: Low back pain is associated with a heavy workload, long-standing to work, and greater fatigue among intensive care unit nurses.