title: Back symptoms in nursing aides in a geriatric hospital. An interview study with special reference to the incidence of low-back symptoms.
abstract: The incidence of back symptoms, particularly in the lumbar region, was investigated in 267 female nursing aides in a geriatric hospital. The overall incidence of low-back symptoms was 46.8%. Low-back insufficiency was present in 40%, lumbago in 18.4% and sciatica in 7.6%. Nursing aides with low-back symptoms had a higher incidence of cervical and thoracic spine symptoms than those without low-back symptoms. Recurrence of low-back symptoms had been common, appearing in 82%. Nursing aides with lowback symptoms considered their work more stressful to the spine than those without low-back symptoms. No relationship was found between different kinds of lifting technique and the incidence of low-back symptoms.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009728:Nursing Assistants; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012585:Sciatica / Q000453:epidemiology; D013548:Sweden