[Backache from exertion in health personnel of the Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli in Bologna. A case-control study of the injury phenomenon in the 10-year period of 1987-1996].
Low-back (lumbosacral) injuries are known as one of more important occupational health problems in health care workers, because of high prevalence and impact of socioeconomic costs. To investigate the risk of low-back pain in hospital workers into the Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli in Bologna (Italy), a retrospective study was carried out. The adapted study design was the matched (1:1 for age) case-control, enlisting the first injuries occurred in the hospital staff like cases, and personnel in force, matched for age and year of happened case, like controls. Information about diagnoses and occupational data was obtained from the current informative systems. Comparison with a control group suggests the validity of the work-relatedness of low-back pain in nursing and health aides (OR: 21.67; LC: 4.69-196.56), in nurses (OR: 20.21; LC: 4.81-177.95), in therapists (OR: 16.36; LC: 2.80-163.54) and in X-ray technicians (OR: 13.64; LC: 2.25-138.99). The risk of occupational injury is not homogeneously allocated into the hospital, and significatively prevails in the orthopaedic wards, in the plaster-rooms, in the operating blocks and in the sterilization plants. Specific manual handling were associated with an increased risk of back pain, while some non occupational factors like cigarette smoking, previous trauma leading to hospital admission, and number of children in female, were resulted weakly associated.
Rossi
A
A
Direzione Sanitaria, Azienda Usl Città di Bologna.
Marino
G
G
Barbieri
L
L
Borrelli
A
A
Onofri
C
C
Rolli
M
M
Baldi
R
R
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006782:Hospitals, Special / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors