skip to main content

Patterns of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Staff Nurses in the Emergency Department in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

*Afaf Mufadhi Alrimali orcid  -  Nursing Executive Administration, Hail Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia
Nashi Masnad Alreshidi  -  Nursing Executive Administration, Hail Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia
Aljazi Albshri Alshammari  -  Maternity and Children Hospital, Saudi Arabia
Aeedah Rfadah Alenzy  -  Maternity and Children Hospital, Saudi Arabia
Riya Thomas  -  Aja Long Term Care Hospital, Saudi Arabia
May Ann Dinoy  -  Aja Long Term Care Hospital, Saudi Arabia
Fouz Aziz Alanzi  -  King Khalid Hospital, Saudi Arabia
Eddieson Pasay-an  -  College of Nursing, University of Hail, Saudi Arabia
Open Access Copyright (c) 2024 by the Authors, Published by Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Citation Format:
Abstract

Background: The physically demanding and high-stress environment of Emergency Departments (EDs) significantly contributes to the heightened risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among ED nurses. Despite this known association, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the prevalence rates and contributing factors within ED settings in Saudi Arabia, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose: This study delves into the prevalence and potential predictors of MSDs among nurses in this critical healthcare setting.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in March 2023 using convenience sampling of 177 ED nurses across 16 public hospitals in Hail, Saudi Arabia. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was employed, with SPSS analyses covering frequency and percentage of pain prevalence via cross-tabulation, and logistic regression to identify risk factors.

Results: Over the past year, 68.9% of participants reported lower back pain affecting normal activities in 55.4% of cases. Neck pain was more likely in individuals aged 20-29 and former smokers accounting for 47.6% of the variance (p=0.001). Shorter shifts under 8 hours reduced neck pain risk, whereas a schedule with 50% of night shifts heightened the risk, contributing to 28.4% of the variance (p=0.001). Nurses aged 40-49 and those with significant childcare duties faced higher shoulder pain risk (p=0.024), and adult caregiving duties was linked to upper back pain explaining 40.6% of the variance (p=0.017). No significant links were found for other musculoskeletal pains.

Conclusion: The study reveals a significant prevalence of MSDs among the evaluated ED nurses, significantly influenced by specific demographic and work-related factors. Addressing these through ergonomic interventions, optimal scheduling, and wellness programs is crucial for nurse well-being and patient care. Future research should focus on creating holistic wellness programs that support nurses musculoskeletal health.
Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Emergency department, ergonomic, musculoskeletal disorders, nurses, Saudi Arabia

Article Metrics:

  1. Abdollahi, T., Razi, S. P., Pahlevan, D., Yekaninejad, M. S., Amaniyan, S., Sieloff, C. L., & Vaismoradi, M. (2020). Effect of an ergonomics educational program on musculoskeletal disorders in nursing staff working in the operating room: A quasi-randomized controlled clinical trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(19), 7333. https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH17197333
  2. Afsharian, A., Dollard, M. F., Glozier, N., Morris, R. W., Bailey, T. S., Nguyen, H., & Crispin, C. (2023). Work-related psychosocial and physical paths to future musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Safety Science, 164, 106177. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SSCI.2023.106177
  3. Albanesi, B., Piredda, M., Bravi, M., Bressi, F., Gualandi, R., Marchetti, A., Facchinetti, G., Ianni, A., Cordella, F., Zollo, L., & De Marinis, M. G. (2022). Interventions to prevent and reduce work-related musculoskeletal injuries and pain among healthcare professionals: A comprehensive systematic review of the literature. Journal of Safety Research, 82, 124–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSR.2022.05.004
  4. Aleid, A. A., Eid Elshnawie, H. A., & Ammar, A. (2021). Assessing the work activities related to musculoskeletal disorder among critical care nurses. Critical Care Research and Practice, 2021, 8896806. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8896806
  5. Alharbi, S. M., Alghanem, A. K., Alessa, H. A., Aldoobi, R. S., Busayli, F. A., Alharbi, K. S., Alzahrani, A. S., Kashkari, K. A., Huraib, M. M., Harbi, S. S. A., & Higazy, Y. E. (2021). Most common ergonomic injuries among healthcare workers. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 8(11), 5494–5498. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20214086
  6. Asuquo, E. G., Tighe, S. M., & Bradshaw, C. (2021). Interventions to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare staff in nursing homes; An integrative literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 3, 100033. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJNSA.2021.100033
  7. Bazazan, A., Dianat, I., Bahrampour, S., Talebian, A., Zandi, H., Sharafkhaneh, A., & Maleki-Ghahfarokhi, A. (2019). Association of musculoskeletal disorders and workload with work schedule and job satisfaction among emergency nurses. International Emergency Nursing, 44, 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IENJ.2019.02.004
  8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders & ergonomics-Workplace health strategies by condition-Workplace health promotion. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/health-strategies/musculoskeletal-disorders/index.html
  9. Chan, L. L. Y., Wong, A. Y. L., Wang, M. H., Cheung, K., & Samartzis, D. (2020). The prevalence of neck pain and associated risk factors among undergraduate students: A large-scale cross-sectional study. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 76, 102934. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ERGON.2020.102934
  10. Chandralekha, K., Joseph, M., & Joseph, B. (2022). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and quality of life among staff nurses in a tertiary care hospital of Bangalore. Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 26(3), 178. https://doi.org/10.4103/IJOEM.IJOEM_25_22
  11. Chang, W. P., & Peng, Y. X. (2021). Differences between fixed day shift nurses and rotating and irregular shift nurses in work-related musculoskeletal disorders: A literature review and meta-analysis. Journal of Occupational Health, 63(1), 12208. https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12208/7249827
  12. Chen, Z., Li, X., Pan, F., Wu, D., & Li, H. (2018). A retrospective study: Does cigarette smoking induce cervical disc degeneration? International Journal of Surgery (London, England), 53, 269–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJSU.2018.04.004
  13. Crawford, J. O., Berkovic, D., Erwin, J., Copsey, S. M., Davis, A., Giagloglou, E., Yazdani, A., Hartvigsen, J., Graveling, R., & Woolf, A. (2020). Musculoskeletal health in the workplace. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 34(5), 101558. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BERH.2020.101558
  14. Dhas, B. N., Joseph, L., Jose, J. A., Zeeser, J. M., Devaraj, J. P., & Chockalingam, M. (2023). Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among pediatric long-term ventilatory care unit nurses: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 69, e114–e119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2022.12.015
  15. Djade, C. D., Porgo, T. V., Zomahoun, H. T. V., Perrault-Sullivan, G., & Dionne, C. E. (2020). Incidence of shoulder pain in 40 years old and over and associated factors: A systematic review. European Journal of Pain, 24(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1002/EJP.1482
  16. Asuquo, E. G., Tighe, S. M., & Bradshaw, C. (2021). Interventions to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare staff in nursing homes; An integrative literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 3, 100033. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJNSA.2021.100033
  17. Gilchrist, A., & Pokorná, A. (2021). Prevalence of musculoskeletal low back pain among registered nurses: Results of an online survey. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 30(11–12), 1675–1683. https://doi.org/10.1111/JOCN.15722
  18. Jacquier-Bret, J., & Gorce, P. (2023). Prevalence of body area work-related musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare professionals: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 841. https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH20010841
  19. Krishnan, K. S., Raju, G., & Shawkataly, O. (2021). Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders: Psychological and physical risk factors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(17), 9361. https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH18179361
  20. Kuorinka, I., Jonsson, B., Kilbom, A., Vinterberg, H., Biering-Sørensen, F., Andersson, G., & Jørgensen, K. (1987). Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Applied Ergonomics, 18(3), 233–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-6870(87)90010-X
  21. Lin, S. C., Lin, L. L., Liu, C. J., Fang, C. K., & Lin, M. H. (2020). Exploring the factors affecting musculoskeletal disorders risk among hospital nurses. PloS One, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0231319
  22. López-Aragón, L., López-Liria, R., Callejón-Ferre, ángel J., & Gómez-Galán, M. (2017). Applications of the standardized nordic questionnaire: A review. Sustainability, 9(9), 1514. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU9091514
  23. Meyers, A. R., Wurzelbacher, S. J., Krieg, E. F., Ramsey, J. G., Crombie, K., Christianson, A. L., Luo, L., & Burt, S. (2023). Work-related risk factors for rotator cuff syndrome in a prospective study of manufacturing and healthcare workers. Human Factors, 65(3), 419–434. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208211022122
  24. Muthukrishnan, R., & Ahmad, J. M. (2021). Ergonomic risk factors and risk exposure level of nursing tasks: association with work-related musculoskeletal disorders in nurses. European Journal of Physiotherapy, 23(4), 248–253. https://doi.org/10.1080/21679169.2020.1715473
  25. Naing, L., Nordin, R. Bin, Abdul Rahman, H., & Naing, Y. T. (2022). Sample size calculation for prevalence studies using Scalex and ScalaR calculators. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 22(1), 209. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12874-022-01694-7/FIGURES/4
  26. Nasaif, H., Alaradi, M., Hammam, R., Bucheeri, M., Abdulla, M., & Abdulla, H. (2023). Prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among nurses: A multicenter cross-sectional study in Bahrain. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 29(1), 192–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/10803548.2021.2025315
  27. Nurhayati, I., Widiyanto, A., Putri, S. I., Atmojo, J. T., Fajriah, A. S., & Hidayat, A. R. (2022). Risk factor of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among nurses: A meta-analysis. Bulletin of National Institute of Health Sciences, 140(01), 1343–4292. https://shorturl.at/hjBW1
  28. Nygaard, N. P. B., Thomsen, G. F., Rasmussen, J., Skadhauge, L. R., & Gram, B. (2022). Ergonomic and individual risk factors for musculoskeletal pain in the ageing workforce. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12889-022-14386-0/FIGURES/3
  29. Ou, Y. K., Liu, Y., Chang, Y. P., & Lee, B. O. (2021). Relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and work performance of nursing staff: A comparison of hospital nursing departments. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(13), 7085. https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH18137085
  30. Ribeiro, T., Serranheira, F., & Loureiro, H. (2017). Work related musculoskeletal disorders in primary health care nurses. Applied Nursing Research, 33, 72–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.APNR.2016.09.003
  31. Richardson, A., Gurung, G., Derrett, S., & Harcombe, H. (2019). Perspectives on preventing musculoskeletal injuries in nurses: A qualitative study. Nursing Open, 6(3), 915. https://doi.org/10.1002/NOP2.272
  32. Rosado, A. S., Baptista, J. S., Guilherme, M. N. H., & Guedes, J. C. (2023). Economic impact of work-related musculoskeletal disorders—A systematic review. Studies in Systems, Decision and Control, 449, 599–613. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12547-8_48/COVER
  33. Rypicz, Ł., Karniej, P., Witczak, I., & Kołcz, A. (2020). Evaluation of the occurrence of work-related musculoskeletal pain among anesthesiology, intensive care, and surgical nurses: An observational and descriptive study. Nursing & Health Sciences, 22(4), 1056–1064. https://doi.org/10.1111/NHS.12767
  34. Senmar, M., Pour, F. Z., Soleimani, P., Yamini, M., & Rafiei, H. (2019). The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among nurses working in emergency department. Journal of Preventive Epidemiology, 4(2), e12–e12. https://www.academia.edu/71907751/The_prevalence_of_musculoskeletal_disorders_among_nurses_working_in_emergency_department
  35. Sun, W., Yin, L., Zhang, T., Zhang, H., Zhang, R., & Cai, W. (2023). Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among nurses: A meta-analysis. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 52(3), 463. https://doi.org/10.18502/IJPH.V52I3.12130
  36. Tang, L., Wang, G., Zhang, W., & Zhou, J. (2022). The prevalence of MSDs and the associated risk factors in nurses of China. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 87, 103239. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ERGON.2021.103239
  37. Tariah, H. A., Nafai, S., Alajmi, M., Almutairi, F., & Alanazi, B. (2020). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in nurses working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Work, 65(2), 421–428. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-203094
  38. Wang, T., Zhao, Y. L., Hao, L. X., & Jia, J. G. (2019). Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among industrial employees in a modern industrial region in Beijing, China. Chinese Medical Journal, 132(7), 789–797. https://doi.org/10.1097/CM9.0000000000000165
  39. Yunxia, L., Renhe, Y., Qi, L., Lu, F., Xiantao, H., Chong, C., Yaohong, L., Su’e, Y. (2022). Prevalence and workload-related risk factors of neck-shoulder pain among nurses in Hunan tertiary general hospitals. Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, 39(6), 695–700. https://doi.org/10.11836/JEOM21342
  40. Zare, A., Choobineh, A., Hassanipour, S., & Malakoutikhah, M. (2021). Investigation of psychosocial factors on upper limb musculoskeletal disorders and the prevalence of its musculoskeletal disorders among nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 94(5), 1113–1136. https://doi.org/10.1007/S00420-021-01654-6/METRICS

Last update:

  1. Musculoskeletal Disorders Among the United Arab Emirates Healthcare Professionals: Ergonomics Knowledge and Practice Study

    Umama Bushra Fatima, Husna Yoosuf, Nainika Mohammed, Hanin Hussain, Shatha Saeed Hamed Al-Sharbatti, Ramprasad Muthukrishnan. Middle East Journal of Rehabilitation and Health Studies, 12 (1), 2024. doi: 10.5812/mejrh-148302

Last update: 2024-10-09 09:02:37

No citation recorded.