[Spinal diseases in the health setting. Epidemiologic findings at a hospital in eastern Sicily]

The importance of spinal column disorders has long been known, both for their frequency in working environments and the social consequences they provoke, i.e. absence from work and social insurance costs. Our study focussed on 800 health care workers: nursing personnel who provide direct patient care, and 150 office workers of Sicily Hospital. We estimated column pathologies by using Colombini, Occhipinti, Grieco method. On the basis of our results we may affirm that the column disorders are more frequent in hospital assistants: S.A.P. II degree 22% S.A.P. III degree 10%, in office workers S.A.P. II degree 6% S.A.P. III degree 3%.