Comparison of risk assessment methods related to the patient's transfer and its relationship with prevalence of low back pain among hospital nursing personnel

Background and aims: Low back pain is the most common type of musculoskeletal disorders among nurses. The high prevalence of low back pain in nurses is a result of activities such as patient handling, improper postures, sudden movements, bending, turning and lifting the load. The aim of this study was comparison of risk assessment methods related to the patient's transfer and its relationship with prevalence of low back pain among hospital nursing personnel Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Methods: The present analytic study was done on 243 nursing personnel in 3 hospitals under the supervision of Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2014. The data were gathered using Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) related to low back region, a questionnaire containing individuals' demographic information, and MAPO and PTAI check lists. The data were analyzed using Pearson's and Chi-square analyses thorugh SPSS v.22. Results: Prevalence of low back pain in subjects was 69.5 percent. Based on chi-square test, a significant correlation was observed between the prevalence of low back pain and levels of risk by MAPO and PTAI (p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between the results of two methods MAPO and PTAI. Conclusion: MAPO and PTAI risk assessment methods are considered as efficient tools for risk level classification and identification of effective factors on low back pain incidence in nursing personnel involved in patient transfer. In this regards, for ergonomic intervention to reduce incidence of low back pain in this occupational group we can mention the modification of improper factors such as increasing lifting aid devices in wards.