The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia

Loveness A. Nkhata; Tonya M. Esterhuizen; Seter Siziya; Peter D. C. Phiri; Esther Munalula-Nkandu; Hastings Shula

doi:doi:10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18

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The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia

Loveness A. Nkhata, Tonya M. Esterhuizen, Seter Siziya, Peter D. C. Phiri, Esther Munalula-Nkandu, Hastings Shula

Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 3, Issue 4)

Received: 6 May 2015 Accepted: 20 May 2015 Published: 2 June 2015

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Abstract

Introduction: Nurses routinely perform activities which are repetitive, labour intensive and involve direct contact with patients. Such activities have been shown to be risk factors for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The prevalence of these conditions amongst nurses in Zambia is not well established. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders within the last year among nurses at the University Teaching Hospital, in Lusaka, Zambia, and to establish the demographic characteristics and perceived job tasks associated with this outcome. Methods: Data were collected using a structured questionnaire in a cross sectional survey. Stata version 12.0 was used to analyze the data. Associations between factors and the presence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were tested using a multivariate logistic regression model and reported using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: The 12-months period prevalence for work-related musculoskeletal disorders was 68.9% in 267 nurses who took part in the study (95% confidence interval 63.1-74.2). The ankles and feet were the most commonly affected body part 54.8% (n=101) followed by the low back 53.3% (n=98). Most respondents (44.7% n=93) had their first experience within five years of graduation. Decreased height, increased weight and years of professional experience, full time position, working in the same position for a long period and adjusting for bed height were among factors identified as associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are common among nurses at the University Teaching Hospital. We recommend that education on prevention and coping strategies for work-related musculoskeletal disorders be introduced and encouraged to promote work efficiency and well-being.

Published in	Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 3, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18
Page(s)	508-513
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Perceived, Musculoskeletal, Work-related, Injury, Disorders, Physiotherapy

References

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APA Style

Loveness A. Nkhata, Tonya M. Esterhuizen, Seter Siziya, Peter D. C. Phiri, Esther Munalula-Nkandu, et al. (2015). The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Science Journal of Public Health, 3(4), 508-513. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18

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ACS Style

Loveness A. Nkhata; Tonya M. Esterhuizen; Seter Siziya; Peter D. C. Phiri; Esther Munalula-Nkandu, et al. The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Sci. J. Public Health 2015, 3(4), 508-513. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18

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AMA Style

Loveness A. Nkhata, Tonya M. Esterhuizen, Seter Siziya, Peter D. C. Phiri, Esther Munalula-Nkandu, et al. The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Sci J Public Health. 2015;3(4):508-513. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18

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@article{10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18,
  author = {Loveness A. Nkhata and Tonya M. Esterhuizen and Seter Siziya and Peter D. C. Phiri and Esther Munalula-Nkandu and Hastings Shula},
  title = {The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia},
  journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {3},
  number = {4},
  pages = {508-513},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20150304.18},
  abstract = {Introduction: Nurses routinely perform activities which are repetitive, labour intensive and involve direct contact with patients. Such activities have been shown to be risk factors for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The prevalence of these conditions amongst nurses in Zambia is not well established. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders within the last year among nurses at the University Teaching Hospital, in Lusaka, Zambia, and to establish the demographic characteristics and perceived job tasks associated with this outcome. Methods: Data were collected using a structured questionnaire in a cross sectional survey. Stata version 12.0 was used to analyze the data. Associations between factors and the presence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were tested using a multivariate logistic regression model and reported using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: The 12-months period prevalence for work-related musculoskeletal disorders was 68.9% in 267 nurses who took part in the study (95% confidence interval 63.1-74.2). The ankles and feet were the most commonly affected body part 54.8% (n=101) followed by the low back 53.3% (n=98). Most respondents (44.7% n=93) had their first experience within five years of graduation. Decreased height, increased weight and years of professional experience, full time position, working in the same position for a long period and adjusting for bed height were among factors identified as associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are common among nurses at the University Teaching Hospital. We recommend that education on prevention and coping strategies for work-related musculoskeletal disorders be introduced and encouraged to promote work efficiency and well-being.},
 year = {2015}
}

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TY - JOUR
T1 - The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia
AU - Loveness A. Nkhata
AU - Tonya M. Esterhuizen
AU - Seter Siziya
AU - Peter D. C. Phiri
AU - Esther Munalula-Nkandu
AU - Hastings Shula
Y1 - 2015/06/02
PY - 2015
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18
DO - 10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18
T2 - Science Journal of Public Health
JF - Science Journal of Public Health
JO - Science Journal of Public Health
SP - 508
EP - 513
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2328-7950
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18
AB - Introduction: Nurses routinely perform activities which are repetitive, labour intensive and involve direct contact with patients. Such activities have been shown to be risk factors for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The prevalence of these conditions amongst nurses in Zambia is not well established. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders within the last year among nurses at the University Teaching Hospital, in Lusaka, Zambia, and to establish the demographic characteristics and perceived job tasks associated with this outcome. Methods: Data were collected using a structured questionnaire in a cross sectional survey. Stata version 12.0 was used to analyze the data. Associations between factors and the presence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were tested using a multivariate logistic regression model and reported using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: The 12-months period prevalence for work-related musculoskeletal disorders was 68.9% in 267 nurses who took part in the study (95% confidence interval 63.1-74.2). The ankles and feet were the most commonly affected body part 54.8% (n=101) followed by the low back 53.3% (n=98). Most respondents (44.7% n=93) had their first experience within five years of graduation. Decreased height, increased weight and years of professional experience, full time position, working in the same position for a long period and adjusting for bed height were among factors identified as associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are common among nurses at the University Teaching Hospital. We recommend that education on prevention and coping strategies for work-related musculoskeletal disorders be introduced and encouraged to promote work efficiency and well-being.
VL - 3
IS - 4
ER -

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Author Information

Loveness A. Nkhata

Division of Community Health, Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
Tonya M. Esterhuizen

Division of Community Health, Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
Seter Siziya

Department of Clinical sciences, Public Health unit, School of Medicine, Ndola Campus, Copperbelt University, Ndola, Zambia
Peter D. C. Phiri

Department of Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, Ridgeway Campus, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
Esther Munalula-Nkandu

Department of Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, Ridgeway Campus, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
Hastings Shula

Department of Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, Ridgeway Campus, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

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APA Style

Loveness A. Nkhata, Tonya M. Esterhuizen, Seter Siziya, Peter D. C. Phiri, Esther Munalula-Nkandu, et al. (2015). The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Science Journal of Public Health, 3(4), 508-513. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18

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ACS Style

Loveness A. Nkhata; Tonya M. Esterhuizen; Seter Siziya; Peter D. C. Phiri; Esther Munalula-Nkandu, et al. The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Sci. J. Public Health 2015, 3(4), 508-513. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18

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AMA Style

Loveness A. Nkhata, Tonya M. Esterhuizen, Seter Siziya, Peter D. C. Phiri, Esther Munalula-Nkandu, et al. The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Sci J Public Health. 2015;3(4):508-513. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18

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@article{10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18,
  author = {Loveness A. Nkhata and Tonya M. Esterhuizen and Seter Siziya and Peter D. C. Phiri and Esther Munalula-Nkandu and Hastings Shula},
  title = {The Prevalence and Perceived Contributing Factors for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia},
  journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {3},
  number = {4},
  pages = {508-513},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.18},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20150304.18},
  abstract = {Introduction: Nurses routinely perform activities which are repetitive, labour intensive and involve direct contact with patients. Such activities have been shown to be risk factors for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The prevalence of these conditions amongst nurses in Zambia is not well established. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders within the last year among nurses at the University Teaching Hospital, in Lusaka, Zambia, and to establish the demographic characteristics and perceived job tasks associated with this outcome. Methods: Data were collected using a structured questionnaire in a cross sectional survey. Stata version 12.0 was used to analyze the data. Associations between factors and the presence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were tested using a multivariate logistic regression model and reported using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: The 12-months period prevalence for work-related musculoskeletal disorders was 68.9% in 267 nurses who took part in the study (95% confidence interval 63.1-74.2). The ankles and feet were the most commonly affected body part 54.8% (n=101) followed by the low back 53.3% (n=98). Most respondents (44.7% n=93) had their first experience within five years of graduation. Decreased height, increased weight and years of professional experience, full time position, working in the same position for a long period and adjusting for bed height were among factors identified as associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are common among nurses at the University Teaching Hospital. We recommend that education on prevention and coping strategies for work-related musculoskeletal disorders be introduced and encouraged to promote work efficiency and well-being.},
 year = {2015}
}

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