Strain on the spine--professional threat to nurses' health.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the research was to investigate correlation between strain on the spine, work place and years spent in work.


METHODS
Research was carried out on a group of 937 nurses working in health care units in the Warsaw district area. The study was conducted using the method of diagnostic survey and as a research tool a questionnaire sheet including 70 questions divided into 6 categories was used. Research was carried out voluntarily and anonymously.


RESULTS
The case study confirmed earlier hypotheses that strain on skeleton and muscles, non psychological and constrained body positions in relation to years worked in profession have significantly statistical correlation on a level of 0.005, chi2 = 16.768. Strain on the spine is also dependent upon ward in which nurses work and upon characteristic of executed work. 79% of tested people fears of degenerative changes of the spinal column. Health problems that are connected to lower back pain are reported by 61% of nurses. 67% of ward nurses and 79% of scrub nurses, more often than departmental nurses and these working in other basic and specialised units, complain about pain symptoms after duty. The greatest strain placed on the spine affects tested nurses working in gastrology department (74%), department of internal medicine and neurology department (70%).


CONCLUSIONS
Strain on the spine is a serious issue as it creates a vast number of health problems which results in decreasing the work quality.
Sienkiewicz
Z
Z
Institute of Social Nursing, Health Science Department, Medical University, Warsaw, Poland. zofia.sienkiewicz@onet.eu
Paszek
T
T
Wrońska
I
I
D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting / Q000009:adverse effects; D009726:Nurses; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors