Frequency, severity and risk factors for restless legs syndrome in healthcare personnel

To evaluate the frequency, severity, and risk factors for restless legs syndrome (RLS) in healthcare personnel.

This cross-sectional study was performed at the Outpatient Family Medicine Clinic of Meram Medical Faculty in Konya, Turkey and included 354 healthcare personnel who were working at the Meram Medical Faculty Hospital between October 2010 and June 2011. The International RLS (IRLS) rating scale was used to calculate RLS severity. The RLS symptoms positive patients were investigated for neurological examination.

Of all the participants, 277 (78.2%) were female. The overall prevalence of RLS according to the 4 essential criteria in the participating healthcare personnel was 15% (n=53) (16.9% male, 14.4% female). Gender (p=0.726) and age (p=0.197) were not significantly related to RLS. According to the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) the severity scale for RLS, of the RLS positive patients, 16% were classified as mild (n=8), 40% as moderate (n=21), and 44% as severe (n=24). Approximately, 54.7% of 53 RLS patients had a positive family history of the disorder.

Restless leg syndrome is a treatable disorder; however, it is still widely misdiagnosed by physicians. The history of the patient and family is very important in the diagnosis of RLS.