Low back pain and associated factors among obstetrics care providers in public hospitals of Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES: Although the study of low back pain (LBP) among healthcare workers in Ethiopia is becoming common, it mainly focused on nurses leaving obstetrics care providers aside. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of LBP among obstetrics care providers in public hospitals in Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. DESIGN: An institution-based cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: The study settings were nine public hospitals in Amhara Region. PARTICIPANTS: Randomly selected 416 obstetrics care providers working in public hospitals in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. OUTCOMES: The outcomes of this study were the prevalence of LBP in the last 12 months among obstetrics care providers and its associated factors. RESULTS: Overall, the prevalence of LBP was 65.6% (95% CI 61.5% to 70.2%) among obstetrics care providers in the last 12 months. Female gender (AOR 2.33, 95% CI 1.344 to 4.038), not having regular physical exercise habits (AOR 8.26, 95% CI 4.36 to 15.66), job stress (AOR 2.21, 95% CI 1.24 to 3.92), standing longer while doing procedures (AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.66) and working more than 40 hours a week (AOR 2.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 4.45) were significantly associated with LBP. CONCLUSION: About two-thirds of obstetrics care providers working in public hospitals in the Amhara region reported LBP. The prevalence of LBP was higher among those who did not have regular physical exercise habits, had job stress, stood longer than 1 hour while doing procedures, worked more than 40 hours a week and female obstetrics care providers. Providing resting periods, decreasing the working hours of obstetrics care providers in a week, and counselling on the importance of doing regular physical exercise help to reduce the prevalence of LBP.