The Effects of Musculoskeletal Disorders on Professional Quality of Life Among Midwives Working in Delivery Rooms

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to determine the effects of musculoskeletal disorders on professional quality of life among midwives working in delivery rooms. AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of musculoskeletal disorders of midwives working in delivery rooms on the quality of professional life. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted with 88 midwives who worked in delivery rooms and delivered babies. The data were collected using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL R-IV). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The data were analysed with IBM SPSS V23 using MANOVA and path analysis. RESULTS: Of the midwives, 80.7% reported that they had pain in the waist in the last year. According to the result of path analysis for NMQ and ProQOL R-IV, only the path coefficient between the 12-month disability and burnout was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.012). The multivariate analysis showed that single midwives had higher job satisfaction than married ones (p = 0.030) and those who chose their profession willingly had higher job satisfaction than others (p = 0.043). CONCLUSION: It was observed that most of the midwives suffered from low back pain. Additionally, there may be a relationship between musculoskeletal problems experienced by midwives and their professional burnout levels. Relevant strategies to reduce occupational risks, especially musculoskeletal disorders, and to increase the professional quality of life of midwives should be implemented urgently.