Low back pain among hospital workers in Kano, North-west Nigeria

Background: About 90% of individuals will experience back pain at one point or the other in their lives. Hospital workers are considered to have a considerable risk of developing low back pain. Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for low back pain among health workers in terti...

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Main Authors: MK Abubakar, A Rabiu, MU Ibrahim, KA Musa, S Muhammad, AA Mamuda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, OOUTH Sagamu 2020-05-01
Series:Annals of Health Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.annalsofhealthresearch.com/index.php/ahr/article/view/217
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author MK Abubakar
A Rabiu
MU Ibrahim
KA Musa
S Muhammad
AA Mamuda
author_facet MK Abubakar
A Rabiu
MU Ibrahim
KA Musa
S Muhammad
AA Mamuda
author_sort MK Abubakar
collection DOAJ
description Background: About 90% of individuals will experience back pain at one point or the other in their lives. Hospital workers are considered to have a considerable risk of developing low back pain. Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for low back pain among health workers in tertiary hospitals in Kano, Nigeria. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey. A questionnaire was designed and administered to 200 personnel of the teaching hospitals in Kano. Socio-demographic characteristics, presence of low back pain, factors that relieve and aggravate the low back pain and relationship of back pain and work activities, were recorded on the questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 33.4±7.08 years. Sixty-six per cent of the respondents had back pain within a year of the study. There was a 29% point prevalence of low back pain among the respondents. Statistically significant association was established between various activities such as prolonged sitting and walking and pain in the lower back (p = 0.000). There was an association between low back pain and the type of job (department) of the respondents (p = 0.016). The dull ache was the predominant presentation (58%) followed by piercing and gripping in 20% and 19% respectively. Prolonged sitting was the main aggravating factor, while numbness was the main feature of referral in 18%. Only 5.0% of the respondents used medications for their back pain. Conclusion: Low back pain is common among hospital workers with a point prevalence of 29.1%. About 25% had low back pains that prevented participated in normal duty. Majority of the respondents believed back pain is preventable.
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spelling doaj.art-59c769c9b6b9496fac5bc7c945db16d12022-12-21T22:12:04ZengMedical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, OOUTH SagamuAnnals of Health Research2476-86422536-61492020-05-016219720410.30442/ahr.0602-08-81Low back pain among hospital workers in Kano, North-west NigeriaMK AbubakarA RabiuMU IbrahimKA MusaS MuhammadAA MamudaBackground: About 90% of individuals will experience back pain at one point or the other in their lives. Hospital workers are considered to have a considerable risk of developing low back pain. Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for low back pain among health workers in tertiary hospitals in Kano, Nigeria. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey. A questionnaire was designed and administered to 200 personnel of the teaching hospitals in Kano. Socio-demographic characteristics, presence of low back pain, factors that relieve and aggravate the low back pain and relationship of back pain and work activities, were recorded on the questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 33.4±7.08 years. Sixty-six per cent of the respondents had back pain within a year of the study. There was a 29% point prevalence of low back pain among the respondents. Statistically significant association was established between various activities such as prolonged sitting and walking and pain in the lower back (p = 0.000). There was an association between low back pain and the type of job (department) of the respondents (p = 0.016). The dull ache was the predominant presentation (58%) followed by piercing and gripping in 20% and 19% respectively. Prolonged sitting was the main aggravating factor, while numbness was the main feature of referral in 18%. Only 5.0% of the respondents used medications for their back pain. Conclusion: Low back pain is common among hospital workers with a point prevalence of 29.1%. About 25% had low back pains that prevented participated in normal duty. Majority of the respondents believed back pain is preventable.https://www.annalsofhealthresearch.com/index.php/ahr/article/view/217hospital workerslow back painnigeriaprevalencerisk factors
spellingShingle MK Abubakar
A Rabiu
MU Ibrahim
KA Musa
S Muhammad
AA Mamuda
Low back pain among hospital workers in Kano, North-west Nigeria
Annals of Health Research
hospital workers
low back pain
nigeria
prevalence
risk factors
title Low back pain among hospital workers in Kano, North-west Nigeria
title_full Low back pain among hospital workers in Kano, North-west Nigeria
title_fullStr Low back pain among hospital workers in Kano, North-west Nigeria
title_full_unstemmed Low back pain among hospital workers in Kano, North-west Nigeria
title_short Low back pain among hospital workers in Kano, North-west Nigeria
title_sort low back pain among hospital workers in kano north west nigeria
topic hospital workers
low back pain
nigeria
prevalence
risk factors
url https://www.annalsofhealthresearch.com/index.php/ahr/article/view/217
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