Back Pain Prevalence- Do Healthcare Workers and Trainees Have Enough Knowledge on the Risk Factors?

Abstract

Aim: To determine the level of knowledge of healthcare workers on the risk factors for non specific low back pain (LBP).

Methods: A total of 395 self designed structured questionnaire forms were distributed among staff members and students of a Nigerian tertiary health facility located in the South-south geo-political zone whose ages ranged 18-65years. Items covered were questions that seek to know if the respondents were aware of some of the many possible non traumatic factors that may cause LBP mostly in adults. Each parameter was scored on a three-point scale of agree, disagree and not sure. The respondents’ ages, level of education, occupation and gender were also sought in the questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to explore the data. Alpha level was set at 0.05.

Results: A 91% response rate was achieved with 360 valid questionnaire forms returned. The results showed that 49% and 51% of the respondents were males and females respectively. 69.5% of the respondents were healthcare professionals while the rest 30.5% were lecturers, tutors involved in teaching medical, nursing, paramedic and health information management students and their students in the hospital. The results also revealed that the knowledge of the respondents on the possible causative effects of postures, excessive body weight, age and prolonged sitting on LBP is high, while there was moderate and low level of knowledge of the respondents on ergonomics and lifestyle factors respectively. Age was found to have high correlation with the level of knowledge while gender, occupation and educational status of the respondents had low relationship with knowledge level of the respondents on the possible non traumatic factors resulting in LBP.

Conclusion: The study revealed that respondents’ knowledge on risk factors for non specific LBP was moderate and occupation, educational status and gender do not influence the level of knowledge of the factors resulting in LBP. This, in our opinion, may be the reason why LBP affects all strata of people irrespective of occupation, class or status. It is therefore suggested that healthcare workers and trainees should be more equipped with preventive knowledge and information to reduce back pain and its attendant disability and cost burdens.

Keywords: Low back pain, healthcare workers, knowledge, causes.