Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Low Back Pain among Operating Room Personnel: A Cross-Sectional Study in South of Iran

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders and the most common cause of activity restriction in people younger than 45 years. Nurses have a high incidence and prevalence of low back pain in terms of physical and emotional factors among healthcare workers. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of low back pain. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 385 operating room personnel of the hospitals affiliated with Shiraz (the largest city in southern Iran) University of Medical Sciences. The data were collected via a research-made developed questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of two parts, including the demographic information and prevalence and dimensions of low back pain. RESULTS: The results showed that the prevalence of low back pain was 74% among operating room personnel. There was a significant relationship among low back pain, education level, and marital status (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hospital managers should reduce the prevalence of this disorder among operating room staff by teaching preventative patient handling techniques via training courses.