title: Low back pain prevalence in healthcare professionals and identification of factors affecting low back pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Work-related musculoskeletal system diseases are commonly observed among nurses, physiotherapists, dentists, and dieticians.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess working postures of nurses, physiotherapists, dentists and dieticians, to identify whether low back pain (LBP) is present, and to put forth the correlation between LBP, working posture, and other factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty seven physiotherapists, 34 nurses, 30 dentists, and 16 dieticians were included. Impairment ratings of cases with LBP were analysed with Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (Quebec). Working postures were analysed with Owako Working Posture Analysis System.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LBP was observed in 70.09% of healthcare professionals. Of the individuals suffering from LBP, 57.2% were working with a risky posture. 40.63% of individuals without LBP were using risky working postures. Trunk and head posture distribution of individuals with and without LBP was found as different from each other (p < 0.05). LBP prevalence of dentists and nurses were higher compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Quebec scores of professionals with LBP were not different among occupations (p > 0.05). Quebec scores were observed as correlated with various factors in various occupation groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering that head-neck and trunk postures are changeable factors that are among the factors affecting LBP, correcting the working posture gains importance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cankı rı Karatekin University, Cankırı, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özge
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Çınar-Medeni
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Elbasan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Irem
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Duzgun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain; D003815:Dentists; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009790:Occupations; D010147:Pain Measurement; D059825:Physical Therapists; D011187:Posture; D015995:Prevalence; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Nurse; dentist; dietician; low back pain; physiotherapist