Work instability, musculoskeletal disorders and absenteeism among Primary Care nurses

to analyze the association between work instability, musculoskeletal disorders and absenteeism in primary health care nurses.

a methodological, cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted with 286 primary health care nurses. The Sociodemographic and Occupational Questionnaire and the Brazilian version of the Nurse-Work Instability Scale were used. Data collection was performed via a digital platform and analyzed using descriptive statistics, statistical tests, and regression models (p<0.05). The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were used to prepare the study.

286 nurses participated in the study, however, 143 (50.0%) presented work instability, with 9.8% at low risk, 32.9% at medium risk, and 57.3% at high risk. There was a significant association between high instability and musculoskeletal symptoms, including pain, heaviness, and fatigue, affecting multiple body regions. Greater instability was noted among professionals with higher family income. Musculoskeletal disorders were the primary cause of absenteeism, although there was no statistically significant association between instability and leave of absence.

instability at work among primary health care nurses is prevalent and associated with occupational and physical factors, necessitating interventions to preserve work capacity.