Prevalence and risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among nurses

Objective To investigate the status quo of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among nurses and discover the incidence of MSDs for each part of the body and analyze the risk factors for MSDs in order to provide references for raising the awareness of protection and improving the prevention measures. Methods A cross-sectional study method was adopted.Nurses who have worked for more than 5 years from five hospitals were investigated by a questionnaire, which covered the prevalence of MSDs and its possible risk factors. Results The MSDs were found throughout the whole body, while neck(72.0%)and shoulder(60.2%) were more easily affected.Logistics regression analysis showed age and seniority may be the risk factors for MSDs, while there was no clear link between height, weight, BMI and the incidence of MSDs. Conclusions We should focus on the protection of neck and shoulder for the prevention of MSDs among nurses, especially for those elderly nursing staffs and nursing staffs with longer working life. Key words: Nursing; Musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs); Neck pain; Risk factors