Pain and associated factors in German occupational therapists: a nationwide cross-sectional survey study

BACKGROUND: Back pain is a common event in the general German population, but little is known about pain prevalence among occupational therapists (OT). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pain and associated factors in German OTs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey study. The prevalence of acute, chronic, and recurrent pain was calculated, and factors associated with chronic and recurrent pain were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 444 OTs (89.41% female) with a mean age of 37.78 (SD = 11.63) years were included into the final analysis. Prevalence of acute pain was 3.83% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 2.25%; 6.06%), of chronic pain 15.54% (95% CI: 12.30%; 19.25%), and of recurrent pain 43.02% (95% CI: 38.36%; 47.77%). The most frequently affected pain site was the lumbar spine. Significantly associated with chronic pain was the level of depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.05 [95% CI 1.00; 1.10]; p ≤ 0.042) of study participants. Recurrent pain was significantly associated with a standing working position, working in geriatrics, stress level, and the level of graduation in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: This study estimated the prevalence of pain and identified factors associated with chronic and recurrent pain in participating OTs. To provide prevention measures and to identify more factors, further studies should be conducted.