A cross-sectional study on dimensions of low back pain in Hamedan Hospitals

Background: Low-back pain (LBP) is the most common musculoskeletal disorder, which is considered one of the most debilitating chronic conditions worldwide. The operating room personnel are at higher risk of LBP due to the different working environment. Therefore, the aim of present study was to investigate the prevalence, dimensions and risk factors of LBP among operating room personnel of Hamedan hospitals. Methods: This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted on 350 operating room personnel of teaching hospitals affiliated to Hamedan University of Medical Sciences in 2023. The sample size was estimated by census method. Data analysis was also carried out using descriptive statistics, frequency distribution, mean and standard deviation, chi-square test, t-test and ANOVA in SPSS ver. 22. Results: Most of the participants (78.3 %) had LBP. Among the studied operating rooms, the highest and the lowest LBP rate belonged to the maxillofacial operating room and the plastic and reconstructive surgery operating rooms, respectively. The most prevalent LBP included acute LBP (40.6 %) and the regional type in which the pain did not radiate into the legs. Most people with LBP in this study complained of sharp pain (28.3 %) and mild transient pain that subsided without painkillers or rest.29 The results also revealed a significant relationship between age, years of work experience and type of hospital with LBP prevalence. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed high prevalence for LBP among operating room personnel, and unfortunately, many of these people develop this condition within the first few years of their work. Therefore, it is recommended that operating room personnel are regularly screened and evaluated for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and LBP, and adequate information about this complication is given to them.