Effects of Low Back Pain on Functional Disability Level and Quality of Life in Nurses Working in a University Hospital.
- Resource Type
- Academic Journal
- Authors
- Tosunoz, Ipek Kose; Oztunc, Gursel
- Source
- International Journal of Caring Sciences (INT J CARING SCI), Sep-Dec2020; 13(3): 2131-2148. (18p)
- Subject
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1791-5201
Background: The nurses are under a greater risk in terms of Low Back Pain (LBP) and LBP can affect the nurses' quality of life adversely and result in disability. This study aims at analysing the effects of LBP on functional disability level and quality of life in nurses. Methods: This is a descriptive study. The population consisted of all the nurses working at a university hospital. The whole population was included in the sampling. 514 nurses participated in the study. The confirmation of the ethics committee and permission of the institution were obtained prior to the study. The data were collected via Personal Information Form, Quality of Life Scale Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Objectives: This study aims at exploring the effects of Low Back Pain (LBP) on functional disability level and quality of life in nurses. Material and Methods: This is a descriptive study. The population consisted of all the nurses working at a university hospital. The whole population was included in the sampling. 514 nurses participated in the study. The confirmation of the ethics committee and permission of the institution were obtained prior to the study. The data were collected via Personal Information Form, Quality of Life Scale Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Results: It was found that 85.4% of the nurses had low back pain at any stage of their life and 57.8% had continuing back pain. Nurses' average scores are lower for each subscale of the SF-36 except for Emotional Role when compared with other nurses who do not suffer from LBP. The mean score that the nurses with low back pain obtained from the ODI was 11.09 ± 6.18 and majority of the nurses experiences mild disability. It was indicated that there is a negative correlation between nurses' average scores for all subscales of SF-36 and ODI (p<.05). Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that LBP is a common health problem among working nurse. LBP affects the nurses' quality of life adversely and results in disability. Taking necessary precautions for the prevention of LBP in nurses would provide positive effects on nurses' quality of life and functional levels.