Psychosocial and occupational factors associated with low back pain among nurses in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE: to identify the occupational factors associated with low back pain using a surveillance tool and to characterize the low back pain by the resistance of the extensor muscles of the vertebral column among nursing professionals at an Intensive Care Unit.METHODS: Cross-sectional study. The workers answered a questionnaire about occupational factors and participated in a resistance test of the extensor muscles of the vertebral column. Associations were established through Student's T-test or Mann-Whitney's U-test and correlations using Pearson's test.RESULTS: Out of 48 participants, 32 (67%) suffered from low pain. For the resistance test, the subjects suffering from low back pain endured less time in comparison with asymptomatic subjects, but without significant differences (p=0.147). The duration of the pain episode showed a significant negative correlation (p=0.016) with the results of the resistance test though. The main factors identified as causes of low back pain were biomechanical and postural elements, conditions of the muscle structure and physical and organizational conditions.CONCLUSIONS: the main occupational factors associated with the low back pain were the posture and the characteristics of the physical and organizational conditions. In addition, the extensor muscles of the column showed a trend towards lesser resistance for workers in pain. This evidence is important when considering prevention and treatment strategies.

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Are Healthcare Providers Providing Appropriate Educational Material for People with Low Back Pain?

Journal of Spine Practice (JSP) ◽

10.18502/jsp.v1i1.9782 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

Dalia Alemam

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Educational Material ◽

Self Management ◽

Low Back ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Educational Materials ◽

Military Hospitals

Introduction: One of the contributing factors to the burden of low back pain (LBP) is the failure to provide patients with appropriate education and advice about diagnosis and management. To date, no information exists about whether the content of patients’ information and educational material provided in physiotherapy clinics in Saudi Arabia is in line with the Clinical Practice Guidelines and contemporary practice. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the content of educational material provided by physiotherapy clinics, hospitals, or distributed by healthcare associations to people with LBP in Saudi Arabia, to determine whether this information is adequate to reassure patients and inform self-management. This study also seeks to explore whether these materials are consistent with CPGs for people with LBP. Methodology: A sample of educational items (English or Arabic) in Saudi Arabia was collected. Content analysis was conducted to analyze data based on manifest content. Result: Seventeen educational materials were included, originating from diverse sources; the Ministry of Health hospitals (n = 10), military hospitals (n = 4), private hospitals (n = 2), and multidisciplinary healthcare association (n = 1). Six main sub-themes were identified: epidemiological/anatomical data about LBP (n = 6); causes/risk factors (n = 10); exercise (n = 14) and physical activity-related recommendations (n = 3); treatment-related recommendations (n = 2); general health and lifestyle-related recommendations (n = 8); and postural and ergonomics-related recommendations (n = 13). Ultimately, one theme was formulated, namely, the content of educational materials was hindering reassurance and self-management for people with LBP. The items reviewed were heavily influenced by the biomedical model of pain. Conclusion: The educational materials reviewed failed to properly report information about LBP from a biopsychosocial perspective and were inadequate to assure patients or inform self-management.

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Low Back Pain and Its Correlations with Poor Sleep Quality Among Healthcare Providers

Journal of Spine Practice (JSP) ◽

10.18502/jsp.v1i1.9790 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 31

Author(s):

Rayan Buhalim

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Reciprocal Relationship ◽

Musculoskeletal Symptom ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Low Back ◽

Poor Sleep Quality

Introduction: Low back pain is found to be the most common occupational and work-related musculoskeletal symptom worldwide. Its prevalence was found to be almost twice among healthcare providers (HCPs) than in other occupations. It is observed that the prevalence of poor sleep quality is higher in HCPs than the general population. To the best of our knowledge, this reciprocal relationship is still unresolved. Thus, this study aims to establish the relationship between low back pain and sleep quality among HCPs in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: An anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed on HCPs in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of three sections. The first section included the biographical data of the participants; the second included Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire for low back pain; and the third section was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Informed consent from each participant and ethical approval were taken before the commencement of the study. Result: Four hundred and forty-two respondents participated and completed the questionnaire. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents were male (62.7%) while the rest were female (37.3%). Most of the respondents were living in either the central (23.3%) or the northern (23.3%) regions. It was found that the correlation between global PSQI and ODI score was positively highly statistically significant (r = 0.235; p < 0.001). The correlation between ODI score and PSQI components including subjective sleep quality (r = 0.229; p = 0.007), habitual sleep efficiency (r = 0.229; p < 0.01), and daytime dysfunction were also positively highly statistically significant. Conclusion: HCPs in Saudi Arabia with higher low back pain disability rating demonstrated poorer overall sleep quality and vice versa. However, further research is needed to investigate whether this relationship is dependent on each other in terms of causality.

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