Determinants of low back pain among nurses working at level 5 hospitals in Kiambu county, Kenya.

Abstract

Pain serves as an unconscious warning mechanism to prevent further injury, and low back pain (LBP), specifically, is a common ailment occurring below the 12th rib and above the gluteal folds. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 report identified LBP as a significant issue within musculoskeletal conditions, accounting for 7.4% of years lived with disability. Despite its preventability at the primary level, nurses continue to experience varying degrees of LBP, occasionally progressing to chronic stages. This study aimed to investigate the determinants of low back pain among nurses working in level five hospitals in Kiambu County, Kenya, namely Thika, Gatundu, and Kiambu Level 5 Hospitals. It evaluated the prevalence of LBP among nurses in these hospitals and identified both individual-related and health facility-related factors contributing to LBP. The findings will help inform policies and guidelines emphasizing prevention. The study adopted analytical cross-sectional design and included nurses from various departments such as accident/emergency, intensive care, obstetrics and gynecology, medical/surgical, outpatient, pediatrics, renal units, and operating theatres. Participants were selected based on willingness and adherence to inclusion criteria. Data was collected by simple random sampling using self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using the SPSS software version 25. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, proportions, and percentages were used for data presentation, and a p-value of ≤0.05 was considered significant. Associations between variables was examined using the Chi-square test. Ethical clearances and approvals were obtained from Mount Kenya University Ethics and Research Committee, Kiambu County research and training committee, the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI), and the respective hospitals involved. Informed consent was obtained from all research subjects prior to questionnaire administration. The study findings indicated that there is a statistical significance level (Sig.) for all test items is reported as .000, indicating statistical significance at the p < .05 level. This implies that the mean differences observed for each test item were unlikely to have occurred by chance, suggesting a meaningful association between the assessed factors and the prevalence of low back pain among nurses. The study underscored the multifaceted nature of factors influencing low back pain among nurses, emphasizing the critical role of policy implementation, resource allocation, and support systems within healthcare. There is need to develop strategies to manage heavy workloads, particularly patient handling, by ensuring adequate staffing levels and providing training in safe lifting techniques. Further there is need to develop an individual health and fitness plan among nurses through education on proper lifting techniques, encouraging regular breaks, and facilitating access to wellness programs.