Low back pain prevalence and associated factors in nurses from Brazilian primary health units

Primary health unit (PHU) nursing work is different when compared to hospital environment. Although low back pain (LBP) literature presents studies conducted in hospital nursing personnel, there is a lack of studies in PHU nurses.

This study aimed to measure the prevalence of LBP in PHU nursing personnel in the city of Pelotas, Brazil.

Sociodemographic (age, gender, number of children, skin color, income and marital status), occupational (PHU type, formal education, professional experience, weekly workload, extra work activity, workload perception), nutritional (BMI), health (self-perceived health, smoking, sleep quality and minor psychiatric disorders, PHU physical structure perception) and behavioral (leisure-time physical activity) characteristics were assessed. LBP was defined as pain or discomfort between the last rib and gluteal fold. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the relationship among LBP and covariates.

LBP prevalence was 65.2%. Chronic (12 weeks) and acute (7 days) LBP prevalence were 22.4%and 53.4%, respectively. LBP was associated with obesity (PR 1.39 95%CI 1.01-1.92) and poor self-perceived health (PR 2.77 95%CI 1.32-5.80).

Prevalence of LBP in PHU nursing personnel is high and similar to hospital nurses. Individual characteristics such as body mass and health perception were associated with LBP.