Prevalence of Low Back Pain among Nursing Staff in Najran, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to determine the various demographic and work-related professional characteristics associated with low back pain among nursing professionals in Najran, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered modified questionnaire (electronic), which included information on general subject demographics and work conditions, was sent through various electronic channels to which 187 nurses working across various health institutions in the Najran region responded. Among the included respondents, 35.3% were Saudis, 64.7% were Non-Saudis, and 88.8% were in the young to middle-age group (21-40 years). Similarly, 57.8% were females, while a majority (91%) had completed a bachelor's degree. In total, 140 respondents (74.8%) reported experiencing low back pain. Among the various work-related factors, gender, place of work, nature of work, and direct contact hours with patients per week were found to be significantly associated with low back pain. Assessment of pain characteristics found that a majority (88.2%) had mild to moderate localized back pain. A significant number of nursing professionals included herein reported to have low back pain, which appeared to be moderated by work-related characteristics, including place and nature of work. Our findings can help to establish policies and interventions aimed at reducing the risk and onset of low back pain.