Changes in risk factors for severe low-back pain among caregivers in care facilities in Japan from 2014 to 2018

In Japan, the practice of the no-lift policy, which states that care recipients should be lifted with care equipment rather than by human power, has been increasing since around 2014. The purpose of this study was to examine whether severe low back pain (LBP) risk factors in caregivers changed between 2014 and 2018. A questionnaire survey targeting administrators and caregivers working in care facilities for the elderly was conducted in 2014 and 2018. A total of 612 facilities and 2,712 caregivers responded to the questionnaires in 2014, and 504 facilities and 3,478 caregivers completed the questionnaires in 2018. The percentage of caregivers who experienced severe LBP did not differ significantly between 2014 (37.3%) and 2018 (38.3%). However, the number of facilities that introduced care equipment for transfer increased in 2018. Moreover, the number of participants who received training on care methods and using care equipment increased. Lifting a facility resident using human power and taking an unsuitable posture were associated with severe LBP in 2014, but only taking an unsuitable posture was associated with severe LBP in 2018. As taking an unsuitable posture remains to be a primary risk factor for severe LBP, it needs to be addressed in care facilities.