Prevalence and Predictors of Musculoskeletal Discomfort in Relation to Physical Activity and Working Postures Among Female Nurses in West Bengal

Abstract

Background

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major health issue, especially for nurses. Strenuous physical activity for numerous needs puts them at risk. This study examines the incidence of musculoskeletal discomforts, physical activity levels (PAL), the relationship between them, and risk-prone postures among female registered nurses in West Bengal, India.

Methods

The modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), PAL questionnaire and rapid entire body assessment (REBA) tool were used among the subjects randomly selected from 11 different hospitals.

Results

Among the total subjects (N = 215), 80.9% informed that they had discomfort in the last 12 months, with the highest percentage (52.1%) of complaints of low back pain (LBP). 59.1% of subjects were found to be in active lifestyles and 36.3% in sedentary lifestyles. Body mass index (BMI) was found to be correlated with knee (r_s = 0.197, p = .004) and ankle/feet (r_s = 0.141, p = .039) discomfort, and there was a significant correlation between LBP and PAL (r_s = 0.181, p = .008). Fourteen daily nursing tasks were found with medium and low risk levels in the REBA analysis.

Conclusion

Frequent estimation of various physical activities, their types and duration, along with the assessment of workers’ unique discomfort or musculoskeletal health conditions, could help formulate the strategy needed for the affected.